Rostrinucula dependens Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Weeping buddleja

Rostrinucula dependens

£20.99
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingLoved by pollinators
Pot size
17cm / 2L £20.99

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Description

Rostrinucula dependens, the weeping buddleja, hangs long, drooping, catkin-like spikes of lilac-pink flowers from its arching stems from August into October. The habit is buddleja-like but weeping, the young shoots are reddish-purple, and older stems carry flaking light-brown bark. Its late flowers offer nectar to bees and butterflies, a welcome addition to plants for pollinators at the end of the season.

Rated H4, to about -10°C, it is borderline in colder parts of the UK. Harsh winters can kill the stems back, but it regrows from the base in spring. Give it a warm, sheltered spot out of cold, drying winds, ideally a south- or west-facing wall in colder gardens, and mulch the base in winter.

It brings late colour to an exotic border and forms a shrub of about 1.5m each way, sometimes 2m in warm gardens.

What you receive: a plant in a 17cm / 2L pot.

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All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Weeping buddleja

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Weeping buddleja

Rostrinucula dependens needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −10°C, standing an average UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H4 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −10°C

H4, to about -10°C, and borderline. Harsh winters can damage the foliage and kill stems back, but it regrows from the base in spring. Mulch the base in winter and give it shelter from cold winds. More hardy exotics for sheltered gardens.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered

Full sun or partial shade in a warm, sheltered spot out of cold, drying winds. In colder gardens a south- or west-facing wall is best; it is not suited to inland valleys, high ground or central and northern areas. It joins our autumn flowering plants for late colour.

Soil

ChalkLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drained

Humus-rich chalk, loam or sand that is moist but well-drained or freely drained. It can be fussy, so good drainage and shelter matter more than anything else.

Watering

Water regularly through its first summer while it establishes, especially in dry spells. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through its first summer while it establishes, especially in dry spells.

Mature size

Height1.5 m
Spread1.5 m

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

Late summer to autumn · Pink, Purple

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Cut back in autumn after flowering and again in early spring (RHS pruning groups 3 and 4). It responds to hard restorative pruning after winter damage and regrows from the base.

Native range

Central and south-central China

Family

Lamiaceae

Also known as

Rostrinucula dependens

Genus

Rostrinucula
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Rostrinucula dependens?

A deciduous shrub from central and south-central China, in the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is called weeping buddleja for its buddleja-like flower spikes and weeping, arching habit, with lilac-pink flowers from August to October. It suits a sheltered exotic border.

Is Rostrinucula dependens hardy?

It is rated H4, to about -10°C, which makes it borderline in colder parts of the UK. Harsh winters can kill the stems back, but it regrows from the base in spring. A warm, sheltered spot and a winter mulch give it the best chance.

How do you care for Rostrinucula?

Plant it in sun or partial shade in humus-rich, well-drained soil, sheltered from cold winds. Cut it back in autumn after flowering and again in early spring, and mulch the base in winter. More hardy exotic shrubs with similar needs.

What problems does Rostrinucula dependens have?

Winter cold is the main one: hard frosts can damage the foliage and kill stems back, though it regrows from the base. The RHS notes it can be quite difficult to grow, and it does best in humus-rich, well-drained soil with shelter from cold, drying winds.

Is Rostrinucula good for pollinators?

Nurseries report bees and butterflies on its late flowers, which open from August into October. It is not on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list. See our plants for pollinators.

What other names does Rostrinucula dependens have?

It is sold as weeping buddleja, weeping buddleia and weeping rostrinucula. Its older names are Elsholtzia dependens and Comanthosphace dependens, which some nurseries still use. 'Purple Plume' is a selling name for this plant, while 'Happy Cascade' is a separate named selection.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 7 days with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

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Rostrinucula dependens
£20.99