www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

My favourite buddleia, which has been growing strongly, has suddenly started looking very poorly indeed. The new soft growth has flopped over and if I didnt know better I'd think it looks in need of a good watering. It has been like this since last saturday at least and I did wonder if the extreme windy conditions had snapped the stem at the base but I can't see any damage.

Is anyone aware of any buddleia viruses doing the rounds. I've never heard of such a thing but there's always a first time for everything.

A few years back it was attacked by a sap sucking weevil but it didnt do any lasting damage other than a few withered leaves.

I always thought these shrubs were fairly hardy. I mean, they grow on the poorest soils in highly polluted areas such as next to active railway lines, so anything fatal must surely be down to a direct hit on the main stem?

Hi Susie, we lost one of ours a couple of years ago, never did find out why it died. This link gives a few possible causes:

http://www.ehow.com/about_6320514_wilti ... -bush.html

I hope it is nothing serious though, it might benefit from a prune if the plant is struggling.

N

Not a disease but my buddleia are being munched by caterpillars which I think are those of the Mullein Moth. Guess I'll have one or two of these in my trap in due course.

I had parts of the buddleia at my old house die. The fungus Judas' Ear was seen on the wood, but that could have been either the cause of the plant's demise or an opportunistic infestation on wood that had died from something else. Other plants in the same part of the garden had previously succumbed to Phytophtera.

I fear for your butterfly bush i'm afraid. They are found growing wild on railway embankments,old industrial sites,stone walls and even old buildings. One thing that all these places have in common is that they are dry. It's just possible your one,with all the wet weather,has drowned at the roots.

Thank you all for your comments and links, they were all very interesting.

Well my poor old buddleia is still looking sorry for itself but seems to be perking up partly. Some of the stems which had drooped over have started to grow upright again (giving it a very strange looking kink in the stem).

I think that Essexbuzzard could well be right and the plant's roots had been drowned with the horrendous down pours we've had here lately. It grows near a drain and I wonder if something toxic had been washed from the drain and into the soil which may have temporarily caused the problem.

Anyway, I am far more hopeful than I was that it may survive now.

Thank you again for your comments.

Susie,
Maybe you should try taking some cuttings just in case. It isn't really the best time of year, but they are pretty easy to take.

That's good advice, Nick. I've taken some cuttings just to be on the safe side. Thanks.

Last year, all my Buddleia looked very sick, we did suffer a serious drought and I kept watering as much as I could. They survived but this year appear much stronger. Thank goodness!
Let's hope the weather will improve and we see lots of butterflies, soon! So far numbers have been disappointing!