Sageleaf butterfly bush is a large, broadleaf evergreen shrub or multi-stemmed small tree grown for its foliage and its attractive semi-weeping habit. It is native to Tanzania to South Africa and is found on rocky hillsides, in forests, or along river banks. This plant is fast growing and can reach up to 12 to 26 feet tall and equally as wide. Its leaves are dark green and wrinkled, and its flowers are small white to lilac blooms that are arranged in cone-shaped panicles. It is a member of the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). The specific epithet, salviifolia, is derived from its leaf appearance that resembles those of the Salvia family that is commonly known as sage. . This South African species needs well-drained soil in full sun with shelter from cold winds. It is winter hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 8 to11. It is very hardy and may remain evergreen through mild winters but should be protected from frost the first year after planting. It flowers on previous year's wood, so prune right after flowering. The shrub can become tall and sprawling; therefore, pruning is essential to maintain its shape. It propagates easily from softwood stem cuttings. The sageleaf butterfly leaves are dark green, velvety smooth to wrinkled and puckered on the upper surface, and the undersides have tiny white or brownish hairs. The leaves are narrow with pointed tips, and prominent veins. The individual flowers are small, tubular, and white to lilac with a tiny orange throat. They are arranged in panicles that can measure from 5 inches long to 3 inches wide. The fragrant blooms appear in mass from May to July. It can be planted as a windbreak, in a mixed shrub border, in a pollinator or sensory garden, or naturalized area of the landscape. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators are attracted to its fragrant flowers. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Exhibits no serious insect or disease problems. More information on Buddleja .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12-24 feet; 24-60 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 26 ft. 0 in. | Width: 12 ft. 0 in. - 26 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Multi-stemmed; Spreading; Weeping
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen; Deciduous
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Denticulate; Entire
Leaf feel
Rough; Smooth; Soft; Velvety
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The foliage is dark green with a wrinkled, rough appearance above and dense white to grey hair below, reminiscent of the herb sage. The leaves are long and fairly narrow, ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and measure 1.5 to 6.5 inches long by 0.5 to 2 inches wide. The leaf surface can be smooth and velvety to rough and wrinkled The leaf may be either sessile or have a short petiole.
Flower color
Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
White to Iliac blooms are arranged in cone-shaped panicles 5 inches long and 3 inches wide. Each tiny bloom is tubular and 4 petaled with a tiny orange throat. The flowers are not as showy as other Buddleja's, but masses of cone-shaped panicles appear from May to July.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is a small, ellipsoid, hairy capsule with a persistent calyx. The tiny seeds are medium brown and winged at the edges.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The bark is grayish-brown and stringy. It may also be reddish-brown and rough with thin darker strips running more or less lengthwise.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; White
Stem detail
The stems have white to rusty colored tomentose or wooly hairs. Young stems are covered with white fuzz.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Southwest Tanzania to South Africa
Distribution
Native: Angola, Cape Provinces, Eswatini, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Northern Provinces, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe Introduced: New Zealand North, New Zealand South
Wildlife value
Nectar from flowers attracts butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. The leaves are eaten by wild game such as antelopes.
The roots and leaves are used in some native medicinal practices. Fresh and dried leaves make an aromatic herbal tea. The roots can be used to produce a substance that is used for cough and colic. The leaves are used to form a type of eye lotion. The wood is used for fishing rods, knife handles, and gunstocks. Medical research is being done to determine the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant value of this plant.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Woodland
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Garden for the Blind; Pollinator Garden