Buddleja saligna aka Olive Buddleja

Buddleja saligna is a shrub or tree from southern Africa. Its native range runs from Zimbabwe to South Africa. It is part of the Scrophulariaceae family. It grows in subtropical climates. Other names are olive buddleia and bastard olive. Chilianthus arboreus is another name for the same plant. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The RHS calls it a tender shrub. It has a spreading shape with many branches. In gardens, it grows about 5–8 feet [1.5–2.5 metres] tall. Its spread falls within the same range. Plants take about five to ten years to reach full size. The leaves are olive green and shaped like a lance. The main RHS text calls the plant evergreen. Yet its separate leaf entry says deciduous, meaning it sheds its leaves. These two entries conflict. Neither gives details about the bark or stems.

The small flowers are cream-coloured and grow in clusters. They have a honey scent. In warmer areas, they bloom from late summer into autumn. Cooler sites may lack enough warmth for flowers to form. The RHS says to protect the plant through winter. The supplied species account gives no details about its fruit. It gives no evidence about edible parts or toxicity, either. Do not treat it as food based on this evidence.

Grow it in full sun, with shelter from harsh exposure. The RHS advises a site that faces south or west. The soil must drain well, but it can stay moist. Sand, chalk and loam are all suitable soil types. It can grow in acid, neutral or alkaline soil. The RHS gives it a UK hardiness rating of H3. Its care advice still calls for a frost-free site. A large greenhouse or conservatory can give it a sheltered home.

Outdoors, it suits coastal gardens, city gardens and courtyard sites. It also suits Mediterranean-style planting where conditions allow. The same applies to subtropical planting. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer or hardwood cuttings in autumn. Watch for aphids, capsid bugs and caterpillars. Earwigs and figwort weevils are also listed pests. So are glasshouse red spider mite and mullein moth. Leaf and bud eelworms may also attack it. The RHS lists honey fungus as a possible problem. It also lists fungal leaf spot and virus diseases.