August 15, 2016

Plant of the Week: Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip'


Lo & Behold - it's so tiny! Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip' is the smallest plant in the Lo & Behold® series. Indeed, it is a tiny little thing - just 1.5-2' tall and wide. 

It produces an abundance of little lavender-pink blooms in summer, flowering from summer to fall. Like the other plants in the Lo & Behold® series, it is a non-invasive cultivar, and is one of a handful of Buddleia varieties permitted for sale in Oregon. It is hardy to USDA Zone 5, although we recommend a good layer of mulch to protect it in colder climates.

What do you do with such a tiny buddleia?
It's just not what we're used to. Kind of like one of those little teacup chihuahuas. Technically, it's a dog, but it's hard to think of it like you would a German shepherd.
And you shouldn't. You wouldn't take your lapdog for a five mile run; you shouldn't plant this little Buddleia in the back of the perennial border. Plant it up front where you can see it. Just as the chihuahua is a nice little dog for folks in apartments, Lo & Behold® 'Pink Micro Chip' is a great choice for patio gardens.

Like chihuahuas, the Lo & Behold® butterfly bushes are kind of fun in groups. Plant a bunch of them as a mass planting or ground cover. They'll flower all summer long. These plants will force you to rethink how you use Buddleia in the landscape.

Lo & Behold® Buddleia and chihuahuas have one more thing in common; they need some help to make it through winter. We recommend planting Lo & Behold® varieties early in the season so they have plenty of time to establish before cold weather comes. It's important that they have good drainage, too, Cold, wet winters are tough on them.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles