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Gardening

Buddleia

(14 Posts)
Luckygirl Thu 17-Aug-17 17:21:31

We have a buddleia just outside our living room window - it is about 10 feet tall. I left it to bloom and we enjoyed the butterflies and bees, but this afternoon I got a bit brutal with it and cut it right back now it has finished flowering. There is a lot more light in the room!. Will it die???

Auntieflo Thu 17-Aug-17 17:26:05

I don't think so, as I have heard they do well for a bit of savage judicious pruning ?. My front garden this afternoon has also seen the secateurs, being brutal with a Russian Sage( I think) and the lavender.

MiniMouse Thu 17-Aug-17 17:26:26

I think they're pretty indestructable! To be on the safe side, why not take cuttings from the branches you've cut off today?

nanaK54 Thu 17-Aug-17 17:33:23

No it won't diesmile

J52 Thu 17-Aug-17 17:49:30

No it won't die, but we are still in the growing season, so it might sprout new leaves lower down. I doubt if the would flower, but depends if Autumn is mild.

joannapiano Thu 17-Aug-17 18:09:35

I don't think it will die. We have 4 large Buddleia in our garden and just slash them down if they get too large and start making too much shade. Never killed one yet.
They have had loads of butterfly on them this year.

devongirl Thu 17-Aug-17 18:20:28

I don't think so either smile In my last house I cut a woody buddleia back to within a foot of the ground and it recovered beautifully.

shysal Thu 17-Aug-17 18:23:06

No, it won't die. I hack mine back every year after flowering and it immediately starts to sprout new foliage. The experts say do it in spring but I can't wait that long.

Luckygirl Thu 17-Aug-17 19:01:51

Yes - I had seen online that you are supposed to do it in spring; but I wanted the light and my view back! It was about 10 ft but is now 3 ft. I can only wait and see, but all the news above seems hopeful. I have no desire to kill it, just to see our view!

merlotgran Thu 17-Aug-17 19:02:57

It won't die and if you want a bit more control, wait until early April and cut it back to about knee height. You will still get plenty of growth next year.

starbird Thu 17-Aug-17 19:03:35

I've seen them growing out of concrete steps with no soil in sight - it's like a weed in the wild. so yours are not going to suffer from a bit of pruning

seacliff Thu 17-Aug-17 19:05:08

It will be fine. Tough as old boots. If you have a spare space on the garden you can just plant a heeled cutting, and the chances are it will give you a new plant for free.

BlueBelle Thu 17-Aug-17 19:32:42

I cut my daughters back every year after the flowers have finished and it comes back like a bad penny just chopped it back now So no I wouldn't worry at all

Nelliemoser Thu 17-Aug-17 19:45:07

You really have to go it some to kill a buddleia. As long as the roots are intact it is likely to return.
There are quite a lot of buddleias growing out of brickwork on a wall at Crewe station. I am quite worried about the state of the wall there.
Just stick the cuttings in a jam jar on the window sill and they will root .