Buddleja auriculata

Benth.

Weeping sage, Eared buddleja

Scrophulariaceae Edible: Leaves - tea, Fruit 147 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-sa

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Buddleja auriculata is an evergreen shrub endemic to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa, growing in montane fields and thickets at elevations of 600–2,000 m. First collected by W. J. Burchell in 1813, and named by Bentham, the date of its introduction to western cultivation is not known, however it was accorded the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Merit in 1923.

Description

A shrub or tree. It grows 4 m high. The leaves are shiny and deep green above and silver underneath. The flowers are small but occur in large spikes. They are cream or orange and have a sweet smell. The fruit is a small capsule that splits when ripe.

Edible Uses

The leaves are used fresh or dried for tea, and the fruit is eaten as a snack.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are used fresh or dried. The fruit are eaten as a snack.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant. It grows on mountain slopes and rocky ravines. It can tolerate frost and drought. It is best in a sunny location.

Where It Grows

Africa, Britain, East Africa, Eswatini, Europe, Mozambique, South Africa*, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

It can be grown from hardwood cuttings.

Production

It is fast growing.

Notes

There are 90-100 Buddleja species. Also put in the family Buddlejaceae.

References (4)

Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 258
Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 102
Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179