It will go unnoticed as a shrub for most of the year but come autumn it produces berries of a stunning
lilac-purple hue.
It produces tightly packed clusters of
lilac-purple flowers from June through to October, on stems up to two metres in height.
Within the same family, however, another member whose trailing shoots are wreathed in clusters of
lilac-purple blooms is frequently described as a "sheer waterfall of soft purple".
ITS vibrant
lilac-purple flowers are loved by butterflies and bees, making the verbena bonariensis a great border feature.
Plant corms late this month or next, then harvest the saffron about five weeks later by plucking the three orangey red stigmas from each
lilac-purple flower.
Tall varieties will need staking, although you can get smaller, more compact types such as Mighty Atom with its
lilac-purple flowers which will stand happily supported by a plant frame, placed over them in spring.
Rococo Mineralised Eye Shadow in Whim 06 Wonderful
lilac-purple with great shimmer.
Other good later-flowering varieties include 'Ville de Lyon', which has flat, carmine red blooms, C viticella 'Purpurea Plena Elegans', which has
lilac-purple blooms and 'Perle d'Azur', a hybrid with masses of single, violet-blue flowers from late summer to early autumn.
Most Buddleias produce flowers irresistible to butterflies on the current season's growth with the notable exception of Buddleia alternifolia, its trailing shoots wreathed in clusters of
lilac-purple blooms a waterfall of soft purple.
With its deep
lilac-purple flowers which can last until the autumn, its see-through qualities make it perfect for planting en masse in a sunny border, with hemerocallis, lavandula, achillea and Echinacea purpurea.