Orange-ball tree

Orange-ball tree: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Large, loose, somewhat upright shrub up to 3 m high and as wide.

Leaves

Lance-shaped, 10–20 cm long, dark green and wrinkled, grey to brown felted underneath; semi-evergreen.

Flower

Spherical heads about 2 cm across, in clusters at the shoot tips, in June–July.

Colour

Deep orange to orange-yellow.

Scent

Sweet honey scent, especially on warm days.

Flowering: June–July · Plants: April–May · Pruning: July

Why grow it?

• Unusual, fragrant orange ball-shaped flowers in June, a colour you rarely see in shrubs.
• A real magnet for bees, bumblebees and butterflies.
• Tolerates drought, wind and poor soil once it is well established.
• Fast-growing: after two or three years you already have a sizeable shrub for screening or as a backdrop.
• Semi-evergreen: in mild winters it keeps much of its foliage.

Orange-ball tree: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: that is where it flowers best and stays compact.
• Any well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Dry to moist; it dislikes wet roots in winter.
• Choose a spot sheltered from cold east and north winds, for example in front of a south-facing wall or among other shrubs.
• Allow 2.5–3 m of space.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

3 m tall, 3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -15 °C)

Goes well with

• Californian lilac: Blue flowers in May–June, lovely next to the orange balls.
• Lavender: Another drought-loving bee plant for a sunny spot.
• Catmint: A long lilac-blue display at the foot of the shrub.
• Red hot poker: Echoes the warm orange colour later in summer.
• Ornamental grasses: Light, swaying plumes that soften the large shrub.

Orange-ball tree: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant in April–May, so it can root well before winter.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and loosen the bottom; on heavy clay, mix in some coarse sand or gravel.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot and firm the soil well.
4. Keep 2.5–3 m away from other shrubs or a wall.
5. Water in thoroughly straight away, and during dry spells in the first year.
6. Spread a thin layer of compost or wood chips around the base, not against the stem.

Care

Water

Regularly in dry weather during the first year; after that only in long dry spells.

Feeding

Little needed: a spadeful of compost in spring is enough. Too much fertiliser gives lots of leaves and fewer flowers.

Mulching

A mulch keeps young plants moist in summer and the roots a little warmer in winter.

Deadheading

Remove the faded clusters during the light prune after flowering.

Containers

It can grow for a few years in a large tub of 50 cm or more, but it soon becomes too big for a pot.

Tip: Prune only after flowering, and lightly: next year’s flowers come on the shoots that grow after flowering. Choose a sheltered spot, as it can be cut back in severe winters.

Orange-ball tree: when to prune it?

Pruning months: July.

When: Straight after flowering, in July. It flowers on the previous year’s wood: whatever you cut off in spring means fewer flowers.

How:

• Cut the faded shoots back to just above a few young new shoots.
• Each year remove one or two of the oldest, bare branches at the base to keep the shrub young.
• Cut out dead or frosted twigs as soon as you can see in spring where it is shooting.
• An overgrown, neglected shrub is best renovated gradually over two or three years.

Caution: Do not cut it back hard in spring like the common butterfly bush: it would hardly flower that year.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings

In July–August: cuttings of 10–15 cm from non-flowering shoots, lower leaves removed, in a mix of sand and compost under plastic or in a cold frame.

Hardwood cuttings

In October–November: push hardwood cuttings of 20–25 cm two thirds deep into the soil in a sheltered spot; they root by spring.

Orange-ball tree: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −15 °C: protect young plants.

• Hardy to about −15 °C: fine in most Belgian winters, but it can be cut back by frost in severe ones.
• Protect young plants for the first winters with a thick mulch over the roots and, in hard frost, with horticultural fleece.
• In a severe winter it drops its leaves; it often reshoots in spring from the older wood.
• In a tub: stand it against a sheltered wall and wrap the pot in hessian or bubble wrap.

Diseases and pests

• Frost damage: Brown, dead shoot tips after a hard winter. Wait until it starts growing and then cut back to healthy wood.
• Caterpillars: In summer caterpillars sometimes eat holes in the leaves. Pick them off by hand; the shrub soon recovers.
• Bare, sprawling shrub: Caused by too little or wrong pruning. Remove a few old branches every year after flowering.
• Root rot: Yellow leaves and dying branches in wet, heavy soil. Make sure drainage is good when planting.
• Red spider mite: Fine yellow speckling and webbing on the leaves in hot, dry weather. Spray the shrub with water.

Through the year

• January: Dormant. Cover young plants in hard frost.
• March: Spread compost around the base.
• April: Plant. Apply mulch.
• May: Plant. Water in dry weather.
• June: Flowering: fragrant orange balls full of bees and butterflies.
• July: After flowering, prune lightly and remove a few old branches. Take semi-ripe cuttings.
• August: Take cuttings. Water young plants in dry spells.
• October: Insert hardwood cuttings in the ground.
• November: Mulch over the roots of young plants.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• The genus Buddleja is named after Adam Buddle (1662–1715), an English clergyman and botanist.
• Buddleja globosa reached England as early as 1774 and was one of the first buddlejas grown in European gardens.
• A cross between this species and the common butterfly bush is Buddleja × weyeriana, with balls arranged in long clusters that flower later in summer.