Romantic lilac flowers, around which many colorful butterflies cavort in midsummer – anyone who owns such an ornamental shrub would certainly not want to do without their floral flowers. All the more worry is when suddenly the leaves of the buddleia curl up. The task now is to clarify the cause before taking any treatment measures. Fortunately, the butterfly lilac is rarely sick. Mostly care errors are responsible. However, these are quickly resolved.
Table of Contents
Possible causes
- Care errors
- climatic factors
- Signs of aging
- Pests
Care mistake – dryness
Although the butterfly lilac feels comfortable on dry soil, it must be watered regularly. Adequate watering is essential, especially in summer when it is blooming. The other way around, however, no waterlogging should form. In this case, the buddleia roots begin to rot. It can therefore make sense to replace heavy soil with a permeable substrate.
Wrong fertilization
Curling leaves on the buddleia also indicate a nutrient deficiency or oversupply. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers should only be administered after the pruning in spring. Otherwise, organic fertilizer is recommended, but only in small quantities. If the symptoms of the disease do not improve after a while, samples should be taken from the soil using a pH value test strip to find out which nutrients are deficient. The fertilizer should be adjusted accordingly.
Climatic factors
It can often be observed that the leaves of one Buddleia curl up, but another Buddleia appears perfectly healthy. Many gardeners rule out frost damage from the outset because they assume that both shrubs would have to be affected. But this is a fallacy, as frost often pulls in aisles through the garden. Some garden areas may be particularly susceptible to frost. In addition, there could also be two different butterfly lilac species, one more frost-resistant than the other. In any case, a change of location is recommended. After a year it will show whether the climatic factors were to blame for the curling of the leaves.
Signs of aging
Although the frost tolerance of a butterfly lilac increases over the years, the ability to nourish its branches weakens. The leaves often curl up, especially if they are lush. Since a butterfly lilac sprouts anew every year, the shrub can easily be cut back to a height of one meter. Autumn is ideal for this because the plant draws its sap back inside at this time and therefore takes less damage. It takes two to three years, but after radical pruning, the buddleia blooms again in full splendor.
Pests
Two types of parasites can cause the butterfly lilac to curl up its leaves:
- Voles
- Aphids
Voles
If the symptoms appear on young shrubs, so that the above-mentioned cause is out of the question, voles could damage the roots and thus ensure insufficient nutrient absorption. While it would certainly be an effective measure, the gardener should not resort to chemical preparations to combat it. Home remedies also drive the rodent away in a gentle way:
- Spray sour buttermilk into the bed
- Spread cat or dog hair in the bed
- Garlic cloves or thuja twigs
- Elderberry manure
- Spray essential oil (e.g. peppermint oil) diluted with water on the bed
- Plant partners such as Wolfsmlich, checkerboard flower, sweet clover or dog goat
- children playing and hustle and bustle in the garden
Aphids
Initially, aphids are not harmful, but they can transmit a viral disease. In addition to the curling of the leaves, mosaic-like, yellow dots indicate a serious disease. In this case it is unfortunately no longer possible to save the butterfly lilac. The shrub must be completely removed and must not be disposed of on the compost.
Conclusion
Various causes cause the leaves of a buddleia to roll up. Most of the time, even small measures help to keep the shrub healthy again. The butterfly lilac only needs to be removed completely if it is infected with a virus. Before taking such action, the exact cause must be determined.