Buddliea

I have an ancient Buddliea (maybe 30 years old) and have been fairly conservative when pruning it, only going as far as pruning to the last active bud. Consequently it's now about 5ft tall after the "normal" treatment. What's the chances of it responding if I prune into really old wood? and take it down to say 2/3 ft. I don't want to loose it as the flowers are a glorious pink and huge. Not a clue which variety altho definitely of davidii family. Suppose I could give it a the chop and take cuttings just in case I murder it!

 

Hmm, Armandii, thought as much, hence my rather conservative approach when I inherited it! Thanks for confirming what I thought. Think I'll take cuttings and leave the "old boy" as is until I hopefully have some offspring and then say goodbye to it as despite it still flowering it is a bit like me, getting long in the tooth!

 

Blimey, orange blobs with purple spikes. Sounds a bit 70s!

 

A friend of my OH cut a Buddliea to about 3inchs above the ground, dug it up and put it on compost heap, were it was for about three weeks bare roots, so i planted it in our garden and it's growing, the Buddliea was only 3/5 years old

 

ooops, I'll let you know what happens this Summer,
Buddlia 26 July 2012

Buddlia today ( drastic prune)

 

That's beautiful Jenny, do you know which variety it is?

 

Sorry Yvonne I don't - it was in that corner when we moved here ( 4 years now). Can anyone else ID it please?
Jenny

 

Spotted this in their catalogue, interesting !
http://www.vanmeuwen.com/trees-shru...r-plants/shrubs/buddleja-three-in-one/68706VM

 

I would have liked more lilac/ purple to go with the pink,
Jenny

 

Well today i've hopefully garfted Black night on to Glodosa