[1] Buddleja indica grows to < 4 m in height in the wild, its branches climbing or trailing.

The leaf shape, as implied by the synonym, is extremely variable, from orbicular to oak-like.

[1] Unable to tolerate temperatures below 10 °C and low humidity, B. indica is grown almost exclusively as a houseplant, notably in the US where it is often known as the oak-leaf buddleja.

The shrub rarely flowers in cultivation, and is principally grown for its unusual foliage.

In the UK, specimens are grown under glass at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and as part of the NCCPG national collection at Longstock Park Nursery, near Stockbridge.