Description
Buddleja alternifolia | Fountain Butterfly Bush ‘Argentea’ (silver form)
Fountain Butterfly Bush, also called Alternate-leaved butterfly bush, Silver Fountain Butterfly Bush, and Weeping Butterfly Bush, is a deciduous shrub that’s endemic to Gansu, China, capable of reaching a mature height of 8-10 ft tall and potentially just as wide, but it takes many years to reach that size. When pruned it can be kept to a desirable habit. The ‘Argentea’ (silver) form bears lanceolate silver-green leaves that alternate on the slender weeping branches of graceful pendant racemes of honey-scented lilac-colored flowers that are so densely crowded in clusters along the branch in late spring that it often obscures the rest of the plant! Buddleja alternifolia ‘Argentea’ is said to be superior in appearance, but grows slower than the standard form.
It’s a not so common shrub anymore, but grows great in larger gardens, although our ‘Argentea’ took 4 years to reach 3 ft in full sun and average soil. Plant it pretty much anywhere and it’ll grow. In its native territory it grows along river banks in thickets at moderate elevations.
First year plants can be finicky and grow slow to start. They are more delicate than other Buddlejas and don’t have the robust growth that B. davidii has, however they are more cold hardy and do not die back as much. Any pruning should be done immediately after flowering in early summer since the plant blooms on old wood. It’s possible to train as a single trunk and turn into a tree once tall enough.
Butterflies and pollinators love it!
Seeds germinate with heat, humidity, and light. Do not cover tiny seeds with soil. May take 2-4 weeks to germinate.
Type: Perennial
Sun exposure: Full sun
Mature height: 8-10 ft
Mature width- 6-8 ft
Hardiness zones: 4-9
