Lo & Behold® Blue Chip Butterfly Bush Buddleja Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip Jr.'
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- BUD-lee-uh
- Description
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Buddleja 'Blue Chip Jr' is a hybrid derived from Buddleja 'Blue Chip' in the plant breeding program of Dr. Dennis Werner of North Carolina State University. It is an alternative to 'Blue Chip' with many of the same characteristics but is considered by many to be an improved variety due to its more compact and symmetrical shape, consistent rich blue color, silver-green foliage, earlier flowering, and stronger stems. It is the earliest to bloom of all the Lo & Behold series.
'Blue Chip Jr' grows in average, well-drained soils in full sun. It may become weedy with diminished flowering if not grown in full sun. Like all Buddleja, it requires moderate moisture and may suffer from root rot if the soil is consistently wet. When planted in clay soil, the soil should be amended with compost and the base of the plant should be planted slightly above ground level. It is drought tolerant once established. It should be watered occasionally, more in extreme heat or when grown in containers.
'Blue Chip Jr' is winter hardy but may die back to the ground in colder zones and resume growth from the crown the following spring. In regions where above-ground shoots survive over winter, pruning to the ground in late winter when new leaves appear at the base will produce more vigorous growth in the spring, give the plant a better shape, and produce more flowers. Deadheading encourages additional blooms but is not otherwise necessary.
The plants produce few seeds and infrequently sucker in the garden. This non-invasive variety is approved for sale in Oregon and Washington.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Buddleja
- Family:
- Scrophulariaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Sandhills Research Station at Jackson Springs, NC
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant attracts butterflies and other pollinators seeking nectar.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Colorful
- Defines Paths
- Easy to Grow
- Fragrance
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Mounding
- Multi-stemmed
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- This cultivar produces a very small number of seed heads, allowing the plant a longer bloom time and removing the need to deadhead blooms.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
- Long Bloom Season
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- These flowers bloom continuously all summer and until the first frost with showy blue fragrant flowers in spike-like terminal and axillary clusters. It does not require deadheading. It works well as a cut flower.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Description:
- This plant has elliptic leaves that are gray/ green. The leaves are slightly more rounded than 'Blue Chip'.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Slope/Bank
- Small Space
- Walkways
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Diseases
- Drought
- Heat
- Rabbits