Indeed - the named varieties are different, although they can cope with a surprising amount of moisture if there's other planting nearby as well. I do mine in March usually. I've even left them until April without any problem as we often have snow and ice through March, so I don't tend to do much pruning at that point. You can also do them in stages, taking more off the front than the top if you have them against a fence or wall for example. That gives a better spread of flowers over the whole shrub. They're quite versatile in that respect.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have a Buddleja. It is a protest Buddleja, a Swampy of the Buddleja tribe—it grows in the wall of my garden from some seed or other blown in a few years ago. About twice a year for the last five years I have cut it right back to its roots in an effort to kill it. It’s still here. I wouldn’t worry!
We have let or two Buddleja grow tall, say 3m, and use them as small trees. I do trim them back to encourage flowering and to maintain the shape I want, keep the canopy lifted.
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
This is of no immediate help ! I have 2 buddleias and for 3 years running I cut them back in March. One of them flowered prolifically, large bright purple blooms. The other never did.
Last year I didn’t prune either bush. The purple one flowered as per usual, from new shoots. The other one bloomed for the first time - round bright yellow/orange flowers ! Turns out it’s a Buddleia Globosa which flowers on last years wood - which I’d been cutting out in spring 😱
I would add that I have one buddliea that never gets pruned because it’s the waiting area for all the little birds wanting to use the feeders and every year it flowers beautifully. I just nip off the deadheads regularly during the flowering season. It’s a gorgeous magenta don’t know the name.
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I do mine in March usually. I've even left them until April without any problem as we often have snow and ice through March, so I don't tend to do much pruning at that point.
You can also do them in stages, taking more off the front than the top if you have them against a fence or wall for example. That gives a better spread of flowers over the whole shrub. They're quite versatile in that respect.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
Last year I didn’t prune either bush. The purple one flowered as per usual, from new shoots. The other one bloomed for the first time - round bright yellow/orange flowers ! Turns out it’s a Buddleia Globosa which flowers on last years wood - which I’d been cutting out in spring 😱