Variety traits

Taste and aroma — Buddleja davidii

Buddleja davidii Franch.

The aroma of Buddleja davidii is a key mechanism for attracting pollinating insects and is assessed as a functional ornamental trait. Taste is not an agronomic characteristic for this crop.

In the reference 34 varieties crop Butterfly bush, where this is mentioned in the description.

The aroma of Buddleja davidii serves as an olfactory signal for attracting Lepidoptera. More than 30 volatile compounds have been identified in the essential oil of the inflorescences, among which 4-hydroxyisophorone and its epoxide are recognized as the primary attractants. The assessment of odor intensity in breeding programs is carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with the emission of substances determined in ng/h per inflorescence, or by expert evaluation on a scale from 1 to 9.

In an agronomic sense, the aroma does not influence cultivation technologies, but it determines the consumer value of the plant as an object of landscape design. Varietal differences in the profile of volatile organic compounds are directly linked to the efficiency of attracting specific species of pollinating insects.

General information about the subject — on the page Taste and aroma.

Sources8

Varieties of Butterfly bush mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.