Chilean Orange Ball Tree

Buddleja globosa (bud-LAY-yah glow-BOH-sah)

Family: Scrophulariaceae Unknown Understory (15-40 ft)

Orange butterfly bush is a broadleaf deciduous to semi-evergreen, flowering, large shrub or small tree. It grows erect and up to 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide. The leaves are dark green, and the flowers appear in terminal clusters and look like an yellowish-orange balls. This plant is native to Chile and Argentina where it grows in both dry and moist forests. It is a member of the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). The specific epithet, globosa , references the flower clusters spherical head. In the landscape, this shrub prefers to be planted in the full sun in loamy, moist, fertile, well-drained soil in a sheltered exposure. It is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 to 9. This plant is drought-tolerant and seldom damaged by deer. To maintain an attractive shape prune the shrub after flowering, since the flowers grow on the previous year's growth. It may be propagated by use of stem cuttings during the summer months. The orange butterfly bush has an open gaunt habit but becomes dense as it ages. The leaves are simple, opposite, elliptical-ovate to lanceolate with toothed margins. They are dark green and leathery on the upper surface, but the undersides appear somewhat wrinkled, yellowish, and tomentose. Its striking sweetly scented flowers appear on the previous season's wood and are small, tubular, bright, yellowish-orange with globose or spherical heads that appear in terminal clusters. Blooming occurs in early summer, and the nectar attracts butterflies and bees. This attractive and distinctive shrub is a popular planting and may be used in cottage gardens, pollinator or wildlife gardens, and as a border planting. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Aphids, capsid bugs, caterpillars, earwigs, figwort weevils, and spider mites are potential pests. This shrub may be susceptible to honey fungus, leaf spot, and viral diseases. More information on Buddleja .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 65 attributes.