Buddleja davidii var. veitchiana explained

Buddleja davidii var. veitchiana was collected in Hubei and introduced to cultivation by E. H. Wilson; it was named for the British nurseryman and horticulturist James Veitch by Rehder.^{[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]

Var. veitchiana was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's First Class Certificate (FCC) in 1902.^[5]

Description

Buddleja davidii var. veitchiana is chiefly distinguished by its dense panicles of lavender-blue flowers with orange eyes. The plant is otherwise like the type.^[2]

Cultivation

Now rare in cultivation, a specimen is still grown in the UK, at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens near Romsey; another is held by the University of Copenhagen's Botanic Garden.^[6] The shrub does not appear to remain in commerce in the UK, and was last listed in the RHS Plantfinder in 2010.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Bean, W. J. (1950). Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain, 7th edition. Murray, London.
2. Stuart, D. D. (2006). Buddlejas. RHS Plant Collector Guide. Timber Press, Oregon.
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. Hillier & Sons. (1990). Hillier's Manual of Trees & Shrubs, 5th ed.. p. 47. David & Charles, Newton Abbot.
6. Web site: Multisite search page. websites.rbge.org.uk.
7. Web site: Find advice & tips on garden & indoor plants | Plant finder & selector / RHS Gardening. www.rhs.org.uk.