Aloysia virgata
Posted: July 10th, 2013, 4:08 am
| Botanical Name | Aloysia virgata |
| Family | Verbenaceae |
| Genus | |
| Specie | |
| Local Name in Urdu | Not available, may be mistakenly sold as Buddelia by some nurseries |
| Common Name | Sweet almond verbena |
| Life Cycle | Evergreen |
| Cultivar Name | NA |
| Fragrant or Not | Extremely fragrant |
| Category(Bush/Vine/Tree) | Bush |
| Height | ~ 10 feet if allowed to grow tall, can be trained as a medium sized bush |
| Spacing | Solitary plant |
| Flowering Months | Through out the year but full bloom is in summer |
| Flower Color | white |
| Growing Areas | Warm areas e.g. Karachi, Lahore |
| Frost Tender | Not available |
| Exposure | Full sun |
| Soil pH | No specific issue |
| Propagation | Air layering |
| Uses | Butterflies and bee attraction in the garden, Ornamentals |
| Other Details | Aloyisa, or sweet almond verbena is a must for any gardener who is fond of collecting fragrant plants. In the hot humid summers of Karachi hundreds of pedant sweetly fragrant flowers cover this bush. As a result honey bees find this plant very attractive - those who are sensitive to bees stings should avoid it because plenty of honey bees will visit it to make honey from its flowers. The flowers bloom in the morning and the fragrance is the peak during the day time. The plant is very easy to maintain. No specific pests except mealy bugs. Occasional pruning will help in inducing more branches. The plant was mistakenly sold to me as Buddelia by Shalimar nursery (and another member here), however it is not Buddelia at all. Image by Izhar and flower close-up is from http://www.natureloveyou.sg (with permission). |