Buddleja davidii

Butterfly bush ( Buddleja davidii )

The butterfly bush, summer lilac, butterfly bush and lilac peer ( Buddleja davidii ) is a plant of the genus Buddleia ( Buddleia ) in the family of the figwort family ( Scrophulariaceae ).

Description

Vegetative characteristics

The butterfly bush grows as a deciduous shrub and can reach heights of growth of 0.5 to 5 meters. The nearly four -edged branches have a characteristic, tomentose hairy bark. The constantly against arranged on the branches leaves are up to 25 cm long and 7 cm wide, narrow - lanceolate and slightly serrated. They are gray-tomentose on its upper side dark green on the bottom. Most existing extensions leaves are almost circular to ovate with a size of 1 to 6 mm.

Generative features

The terminal, erect, dense, schmalkegelige, apparently racemose or thyrsoid zymöse inflorescence reaches a length of 4 to 30 cm and a diameter of 2 to 5 cm. The lower bracts are leaves- leaf-shaped, others are small and linear. In June, open the pleasant honey- scented flowers fourfold. The four 2 to 3.5 mm long sepals are fused bell-shaped. The four petals are purple are fused to form an approximately 1 cm long, narrow corolla tube with outstretched corolla lobes. They are bright yellow in the area of the tube entrance; in the wild type, the rest of the flower is blue purple. Garden forms can also have white, pink, purple or dark violet flowers. The scars and dust bag remain hidden in the corolla tube. Pollination is by insects langrüsselige, in particular by moths.

The bivalve, brown fruit capsules have a length of 5 to 9 mm and a diameter of 1.5 to 2 mm. The ellipsoid with a length of 2 to 4 and a diameter of about 0.5 mm, machined shaped seeds are spread out as a balloon flyer about the wind. The seed coat has at both ends of vesicular structures that support the small wings of the wind propagation. May make about 20 million seeds a copy per year.

Dissemination

The butterfly bush is native to China and Tibet and was introduced to Europe as an ornamental plant. As a refugee garden, this plant species established in the wild. In 1928 she was discovered for the first time in Germany on a gravel bank of the Rhine. Today it is one frequently found species along railway tracks and on abandoned industrial areas and along river banks. The northern distribution limit is determined by the winter climate. In winter, temperatures below 20 degrees minus the plants die in the rule.

Toxicity

The butterfly bush is classified as slightly toxic, with all parts of the plant are poisonous, especially the leaves and seeds. Agents are the glycosides Catalpol, Methylcatalpol, aucubin and various saponins.

Culture

The Buddleja davidii varieties of prefer sunny and warm places in the garden and a calcareous soil. The butterfly bush can and should each spring set on floor, that is cut off at the knee. He then drives strong from the bottom and blooms in summer rich. Failing this section, the plants tend to verkahlen from below. For some slow-growing varieties of pruning only every 3 to 4 years is necessary.

The butterfly bush as a nectar plant for insects

Bees, butterflies, and bumblebees Taubenschwänzchen offers the butterfly bush a rich source of nectar. Unlike commonly believed, however, the plant has no positive impact on biodiversity and the continuance of butterflies, as it plays no role as a food plant for butterfly caterpillars and their nectar offer comes at a time when the food supply is plentiful. However, planting in the garden has the effect of attracting butterflies from the environment and allows for easy monitoring of these animals.

System

The first description by the French botanist Adrien René Franchet was published in 1887; He named the type after the French naturalist in China, the Lazaristenpater Armand David. Buddleja davidii Franch A synonym for. Buddleja is variabilis Hemsl ..

The distinction of the following varieties within the species is in dispute:

• Buddleja davidii var nanhoensis ( Chitt. ) Rehder: syn: Buddleia variabilis var nanhoensis Chitt.
• Buddleja davidii var superba ( de Corte ) Rehder & EHWilson: syn: Buddleia variabilis var superba de Corte
• Buddleja davidii var veitchiana ( JHVeitch ) Rehder: syn: Buddleia variabilis var veitchiana JHVeitch

Similar Species

Buddleja davidii side and its varieties even the Wechselblättrige Buddleia ( Buddleja alternifolia ) is common in the gardens of Central Europe. Unlike Buddleja davidii it blooms on the previous year's branches.

Swell

• Mario Ludwig, Harald Gebhard, Herbert W. Ludwig, Susanne Schmidt- Fischer: New animals & plants in the domestic nature - Immigrant identify species and determine BLV Verlagsgesellschaft Munich, ISBN 3-405-15776-5
• Bruno P. Kremer: determine shrub shrubs Detect &, Steinbach nature guide, 2002, ISBN 3-800-14275-9
• Bingtao Li & Antony JM Leeuwenberg: Loganiaceae in the Flora of China, Volume 15: entry. ( Description section )
• Rothmaler: Excursion Flora of Germany, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg, Berlin, 20th edition 2011, ISBN 978-3-8274-1606-3