Overgrown Buddleia

Hi

I've just moved into a new house and there's a large overgrown Buddleia - please see attached pictures.

What's the best advice on dealing with this? Can I prune it hard, will it survive?

 

I hack mine about quite freely after they have flowered. They grow like weeds the following year.

 

That is overgrown isn't it.

yes, you can hack it right down to about 1ft, taking care to ensure you leave some stem with new buds on, and it will come back fine next year.

Buddleja also takes very easily from cuttings, so if you're worried about accidentally killing it completely (something that is extremely unlikely), you could keep some of the bits you cut off, shove them into the ground (just push the sticks into the ground as far down as you can push them), and some will take. You can then dig them up and move them next year if you need to.

 

You can chop it right to the ground, dig up the root and the blighter will still fool you into thinking you have eradicated it ... but, in the words of "The Terminator": "Hasta la vista - I'll be back!"

So: can you prune it hard and will it grow back? Yes and yes!!!!

Question: Why do you want to be rid of it? It gives you a degree of privacy from the neighbours at the back - which, depending on how well you get along, may be a blessing?

I used to hang hand made "punched" tin cans with tea lights from mine (at my old house) - looked enchanting in the summer evenings

Give it a good crew cut if you must, just to keep it manageable - but, as you have just moved in, the old age advice is still sound: live there one year to see what you have growing before making changes

 

They are tough as old boots so don't be afraid that you'll kill it with a trim.
The mature wood has a hollow stem and eight inch sections in a bundle make nice insect 'hotels'.