The word ubiquitous was meant for Buddleia davidii – it has been in flower everywhere for weeks but most of it is now fading. It was first collected in China by Dr Augustine Henry in around 1887 but identified before that by Father Armand David, after whom the species is named. The genus was named posthumously after Reverend Adam Buddle, an 18th century botanist, at the suggestion of Linnaeus. It has made itself at home around the world since it first reached the west. Some regard it as a weed and detest its fragrance which can range from honey to over ripe fruit. Others love it because it is a favourite with butterflies, providing a rich source of nectar, and has become known as Butterfly Bush. Following the Second World War it was also known as the bombsite plant because it grew readily in that sort of environment. It can reach a height of five metres but tolerates very hard pruning in February which encourages larger and later flowers, as does deadheading. The embankment at Greenford Station has been colonised by it.

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10 Aug This entry was published on August 10, 2012 at 10:08 pm. It’s filed under Places and tagged August 2012, blog, Ealing, environment, flowers, garden, Greenford, history, local, London, nature, pedestrian, photo365, photography, photos, postaday, rail, walking, wildlife. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.