Buddleia davidii 'Empire Blue'

Buddleia davidii 'Empire Blue'

The butterflies are out in force at the moment chasing the last rays of warm sun and all the flowers which provide them with so much nectar. They love Buddleias. This old cultivar originated at a Nursery in Ohio in the US despite its very British name. The violet-blue flowers have a distinctive orange eye and are produced in abundance in early spring and summer. You get a second flush of flowers in autumn if you lightly prune the shrub of about 30cm of top growth and give it a bit of fertilizer. A heavy prune in late winter is necessary as this shrub can become a bit woody and ungainly with age and may reach several metres in height and width.