Flowers never come through on tree

Grass1959 · May 2023

We have 2 trees in garden
They used to flower with blue purpley flowers this year they just come through as brown dead we just don't no why ot sure what the flowers are

Busy-Lizzie · May 2023

Looks like a buddleia. The dead flower looks like one that has finished flowering. Has it been there since last year? Buddleias can be pruned quite hard after flowering. They flower in summer so it won't flower yet.

Dovefromabove · May 2023

Hi @steve.jordan596saFeyS4 and welcome to the forum 😊

Those are buddleja (also spelled buddleia) … sometimes known as the Butterfly Bush. They won’t flower until later in the summer. What you’re seeing are the dead flowers from last year.

They can be hard pruned next March if they are getting too big.

Fairygirl · May 2023

They need pruning early in the year @steve.jordan596saFeyS4 as they flower on the new wood produced through spring and summer. The flowers that are dead are just last year's that haven't dropped off.

It's a bit late for pruning back hard, but if you don't you'll still get flowers, but they'll be high up on the new wood they'll make. What you can do, if you want, is to cut back the front half of them, and you'll get a two tier effect, or just cut them back by a couple of feet. With the latter, the flowers might be later but they'd be at a better height, and with the former, you'll get some at the normal time, higher up, and the lower section will flower a bit later

You can take them back by about a third in height in autumn, but it's usually only necessary if they're in a windy site as it helps prevent them moving at the roots. Otherwise, just cut back hard next spring

Busy-Lizzie · May 2023

Made a mistake when I said prune after flowering. I meant remove dead flowers after flowering, they are rather ugly. Prune in Spring.

Fairygirl · May 2023

Yes - you meant deadheading rather than pruning @Busy-Lizzie. It promotes more flowers too, but it can be very difficult to reach them if they've not had the early pruning- been there. Not easy when you're short

Flowers never come through on tree

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