This shrub is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: fast-growing
• Flowering period: July to September
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  Much maligned for its habit of colonising railway sidings, buddleja can be a fabulous addition to a sunny border, with dramatic, fragrant flowers that are attractive to butterflies and other beneficial insects. Pruned hard in spring, this shrub produces dense spikes of honey-scented, bright pink flowers with orange eyes throughout summer. The pointed, grey-green leaves turn butter-yellow in autumn. Deadheading the buddleja will encourage it to produce more flowers and stop any unwanted seedlings.
  
  
• Garden care: Prune back hard in March, removing all of the previous year's growth to three or four buds.