Buddleja is a wonderfully charismatic genus of flowering shrubs and small trees in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae, celebrated for its long, nectar-rich flower clusters and its easy, airy garden presence. The genus contains more than 100 species and has a broad native range stretching across tropical and subtropical parts of the Americas, Africa, Madagascar and Asia. The name honours the English botanist and clergyman Rev. Adam Buddle, and the plants are especially admired for their fragrant blooms and their ability to draw in butterflies and other visiting insects.

Buddleja loricata, commonly known as mountain sagewood or bergsaliehout, is an interesting Buddleja for small gardens or town houses, particularly those inland at higher altitudes. It has a tidy, rounded shape, attractive foliage and sweetly scented, creamy white flowers. Mountain sage grows up to 4 m and is either a multi-stemmed, densely bushy shrub or small tree. It has a pale brown bark and its branchlets are sometimes covered in rusty hairs. The wrinkly, narrow leaves are stalked, opposite and simple; medium to dark green above, much paler below and have rusty hairs, a raised midrib and side veins. It is sometimes confused with Buddleja salviifolia, but Buddleja loricata leaves have a more rounded base and have no stipules, just a ridge between the leaves. They are also identified by their rusty hairs.