Buddleja lindleyana

Native to southern China, this deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub forms a rounded mound with arching branches, usually about 5 to 8 feet tall. Its opposite, pointed leaves are glossy green above and paler beneath. Long, curved lavender to purple flowers grow in slender, drooping clusters, often along one side of the stem. In temperate gardens, flowering continues from summer into fall on new growth. It spreads by root suckers and can be propagated from these or stem cuttings. It has escaped cultivation in parts of the southeastern United States, including North Carolina and Florida. Photographed in Florida.