Talkback: Plants on railway embankments

I used to enjoy part of my commute to work; the embankments would hold a host of wildlife. Some days I may see a family of fox cubs at play, another the flash of a jay's wing or woodpecker.

More recently I went on a longer train journey and was interested to see how the buddleia colours vary. I had always assumed that the bog standard "railway" buddleia was a mauve colour, but along this journey I noticed various shades of deep blue/purple, deep red/purple, and through to the pale mauve that I had expected. One plant had the most magnificent panicles of flowers, easily 18 inches long each, and worthy of a place in any buddleia competition. I assume all these are escapees from cultivated varieties in peoples' gardens, but with the cross breeding going on between them there must be some amazing plants waiting to be discovered.

You are absolutely right, all sorts of unauthorised cross breeding goes on in these little undisturbed wildernesses. Some friends of mine who spend time hunting for new plants abroad do a fair bit of their searching on roadsides and embankments.

THANKS FOR THE INFO ON BUDALEIA. I HAVE PURPLE ONES USUALLY BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE THE HARDIEST IN EASTERN ONTARIO TWO YEARS I TOOK A CHANCE AND PLANTED A YELLOW ONE. IT GREW REALLY HUGE IN IT'S SECOND YEAR AND WHILE A BIT SPARSE AND WITH A TENDENCY FOR PART OF THE FLOWER TO BROWN WHILE OTHER PARTS COME TO BLOOM, IT LOOK'S GREAT TO ME. TWO DRIVEWAYS SURROUND THIS FRONT FLOWER BED AND A PRIVATE DRIVE SO THREE SIDES. SNOW COVER IS ABUNDANT WITH IT COMING FROM THREE SIDES AN I BELIEVE IT'LL SURVIVE AGAIN. IS IT JUST ME OR MY CLIMATE. THE PLANTS DO SEEM SHORT LIVED, SAY THREE YEARS. CUTTING BACK IS ALWAYS NECESSARY IN THE SPRING AND I MEAN JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. IT PERENNIALIZES SO YOU GET SMALLER PLANTS USUALLY, BUT THE BRANCHES WILL SURVIVE UP INTO THE SNOW COVER I FIND. JUST THOUGHT I'D LET ANYONE WHO MIGHT FIND IT INTERSTING TO KNOW WELL YOU KNOW - KNOW - RAVEN VAN LEISHOUT

Thanks, raven. In Britain it is best to cut most Buddleia back very hard in the Spring. They are capable of putting on 6-8 feet of growth in a season.

Back in 1960's my parents hired a boat on the river Shannon, Ireland for holiday at Easter time. The meadows as we sailed along were just the most beautiful site you could ever see, just overflowing with wild flowers. Some say in later years they were 'improved' by drainage and herbicides! Let's hope some are still there.