Buddleja salviifolia

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Buddleja salviifolia, also known as sage bush or sagewood, is a large shrub native to many parts of southern and eastern Africa—from Kenya to Angola. It grows on rocky hillsides, along forest edges, and near streams. The species was described by Lamarck in 1792.

Description:
- Size: a tall, semi-evergreen, multi‑stemmed shrub 4–8 meters high.
- Bark and shoots: grey-brown, stringy bark; square-shaped shoots covered in reddish-brown hairs.
- Leaves: resemble sage, with wrinkled (rugose) upper surfaces; leaf blades are narrow oval to narrow oblong, with a short stalk or sessile, and a pointed tip; base is heart-shaped.
- Flowers: bloom in terminal conical clusters about 12 × 8 cm, with some extra heads forming in autumn. Colors range from white to purple, with a short corolla about 4 mm long. The scent is strong and highly regarded, some say it’s one of the best among buddlejas.

Hardiness:
- USDA zone 8 (trost hardy in milder winters).

In cultivation:
- Fairly common and tolerant of dry soils; moderately frost-hardy.
- Grown in the UK, but its large size and untidy habit mean it suits large gardens.
- The National Collection at Longstock Park Nursery, Hampshire, includes some specimens.

Names and confusion:
- Sometimes mislabeled as Buddleja myriantha in the UK and France (a different Chinese species).

Uses:
- Decoctions are believed to have medicinal benefits in its native regions.
- The wood is hard and heavy and has been used for tools like spears and fishing rods; it is also used as fuel and for hedging.