Buddleja davidii var. nanhoensis explained

Buddleja davidii var. nanhoensis is endemic to Gansu, China, and introduced by Farrer in 1914.^{[1] [2]} The taxonomy of the plant and the other five davidii varieties has been challenged in recent years. Leeuwenberg sank them all as synonyms, considering them to be within the natural variation of a species,^[3] a treatment adopted in the Flora of China published in 1996.^[4]

Description

Buddleja davidii var. nanhoensis is chiefly distinguished by its small size. Rarely growing to a height of > 1.5 m, the shrub has a more compact habit than the type, narrower leaves and shorter panicles.^[1]

Cultivation

Now very rare in cultivation, unlike its various 'Nanho' hybrid cultivars, the shrub is still grown in the UK at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens near Romsey.^[5]

Suppliers

There are seven nurseries in the UK still raising the shrub listed in the RHS Plantfinder.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Bean, W. J. (1917). Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain, 7th edition. Murray, London.
2. Hatch, L. (2007) Cultivars of Woody Plants Volume I (A-G) 2007 Edition. TCR Press Horticultural PDF. books.
3. Leeuwenberg, A.J.M. (1979). The Loganiaceae of Africa XVIII Buddleja L. II. Revision of the African and Asiatic species. Mededelingen Landbouwhogeschool Wageningen, Nederland
4. Li, P-T. & Leeuwenberg, A. J. M. (1996). Loganiaceae, in Wu, Z. & Raven, P. (eds) Flora of China, Vol. 15, p. 335. Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, USA. online at www.efloras.org
5. Web site: Multisite search page. websites.rbge.org.uk.
6. Web site: Find advice & tips on garden & indoor plants | Plant finder & selector / RHS Gardening. www.rhs.org.uk.