Topic: Buddleia davidii 'Black Knight'

[springbok]

I inherited two of the above plants when I moved in my  house.

One is twice the size of the other.

How far do you prune them back is my first question?  I have already cut off a great deal already but been told to cut them back down to the ground.

Second question, I would like to have a go at propagating them from cuttings, has anyone tried this, which is the best method?

Thanks :)

[star]

Buddleia's are very tolerant of hard pruning, and thrive better for it. To propagate just cut some prunings below a leaf joint and pop into the ground. It has worked for me when I have used the long prunings for pea sticks ::)

You will find they do self seed in the strangest places too eg halfway up walls, roofs,  ;)

[ACE]

Weeds. Hack them down to the ground.

[springbok]

Weeds. Hack them down to the ground.

You cant be serious  ???

[PurpleHeather]

Four years ago my husband hacked ours down to nothing and for two years it did not grow. Then last year it came back to life and is looking fine this year.

I suppose that makes it right that it is a weed. They do say that if you dig it up and it grows again it is a weed but if you dig it up and it does not grow again it was a plant.

[springbok]

I love my Buddleia, they give me much needed privacy in my back garden as they block both sides of my neighbours watching us on our patio.

Plus during the winter i put the bird feeders in them and have seen so many different types of birds.

I am going to have a go and do some cuttings of them and plant one or two in my front garden too lol.

[jesssands]

my brother has them out of control , they are even growing in the neighbours drain!
They have seeded themselves everywhere, and are pulling his wall down.
   I'm with the weeds! lol

[valmarg]

I'm a bit on the fence here.

I have a Black Knight buddleia, and it can seed down (though thankfully we've not had any in the guttering), but it's easy to recognise and can be pulled up before it gets too big.  It gets cut 'hard back' in the spring.

The up-side is that it attracts butterflies and beneficial insects such as hoverflies.

We also have a buddleia alternifolia.  This variety is superb.  It has flowers at the leaf joints all down the stems, and the scent is wonderful.  I could post a picture, if I knew how, but I'm OK at the basics, but not the twiddly bits ;D ;D

valmarg
 

[Robert_Brenchley]

There's a big one by the hut on the site which attracts a lot of migratory butterfles, but never gets anything like the numbers I remember them getting years ago. It grows as a weed all over walls and everything round here.

[aromatic]

 :) This little bit of information may help you out springbokgirlie.......
www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/classid.413/


                           

[loopyloulou]

id probably agree theyre a bit like weeds, but as weeds go i adore these!!! i have 3 that set seeds themselves from next doors bush (saved cutting it down for cuttings) in a tub and i moved 2 yesterday, as roberts from birmingham he will no doubt have been thru duddeston train station and seen that the unused tracks etc round there are brimming with these, but they do smell soooooo nice i wont complain! it has got to be better than the ivy that keeps taking over my garage and taking down walls in the garden! ick! evil stuff!

[Pesky Wabbit]

Of all the Buddleias, Black Night is my favorite.

In general I cut down to about waist high, leaving 2 nodes on a branch.  This gives a sprouting point and a spare if one dies. And in the Spring I give it a good helping of growmore.

Pruning can be left until Spring, but as I'm soooo busy in Spring, I do it late Autumn. Also makes the garden look tidier.

I collect the long straight stems for plant supports.

[ipt8]

When established you can give a light prune late in te year if they are too large for you, then do the proper pruning in the spring. Yous ee they flower on new growth, so the harder you prune  (within reason, leave something) the better tehy flower and the more butterflies you will have.  8)