Buddleja salviifolia in dry conditions

In harsh veld when rain stays away, young stem tip leaves of Buddleja salviifolia will show these signs of battling the elements. Smaller, more curled down and less green than well-watered plants, they are reduced to only a few near each stem tip. Large bushes growing in these conditions will have hundreds of such leafy clusters with much branched bare stem showing through in-between.

The leaves do retain some appeal although stressed. Curving down length-wise, their margins tend to curve down as well. The white lower leaf surfaces show lacy venation protruding, the yellow green upper ones are quilted, the veins sunken; features also present on thriving leaves, although they would be greener in colour.

The leaves right at the tip stay folded for a time in pale torch-like fashion. The opposite leaf bases have no stalks (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002).