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a question about buddleia (the butterfly bush)

iamtoiamto Posts: 111

I bought a buddleia from the store and on the paper it says 2-3 meters high, I have planted it now and I see that the buddleia have already started to bloom and its only 50cm high..

On the webpage of the store that I bought the plant from it says something completely else, it says only 80-90cm.. image So I dont know wich one is right, but I hope it gets alot higher.. image

So I have a wuestion will buddleia only start to bloom when it has reached it full/mature hight or will it continue to grow? image

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Posts

  • iceice Posts: 332

    I had a seedling last year. It flowered at a few feet. Its been moved and much taller. The source plant I pressume was next door and over 2m high

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    They take a couple of years to reach full maturity and height, assuming you start with a decent sized plant at around 2 to 3 feet,  in a 6 to 7 inch pot. 

    They require pruning early in the  year, and they then flower on the new growth. Once they're settled, that growth will be anything from four to six feet, or even more, depending on the conditions you have. Even a cutting taken this year will produce a flower or two next year and it will only be a small plant.  image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • CloggieCloggie Posts: 1,457

    I have planted two types this year, a Buddliea Black Knight which I'm expecting to be huge with the deepest coloured flowers in Buddliea'dom and a Buddleia Buzz Lavender.

    The Buddleia Buzz was new to me this year and I'm expecting it to be a dwarf form.  I've yet to say for sure what it does but I can say that in it's first year (after purchase - not sure how long the nursery had it?), it's flowering right now and it's only knee high.

    The black knight is not flowering but it is putting on healthy growth along with the two cuttings I took from it when I cut it back after buying.

    Not sure if that helps or not but it might help flesh out your responses?

  • HandyLHandyL Posts: 49

    How do I take a cutting? And when's the best time? 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Hi Luke - they are so easy it's almost impossible to fail with them! image

    Normally, you'd take cuttings in late spring or early summer - softwood ones. They're quite pliable at this stage. Cut a non flowering shoot, then trim it below a leaf joint to give you the bottom of your cutting, and pinch out the top above the next leaf joint which will become the top. I just put them into a pot of gritty compost - you'll get about 3 or 4 round a 6 inch pot. Water them in and pop them somewhere sheltered out of too much sun and leave them to it. image

    I find that you can take bits off at almost any time of the year and you'll get success though.

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • HandyLHandyL Posts: 49

    Wow thanks I shall have to give this a go tonight :) 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Good luck Luke. They're among the easiest shrubs to propagate so I'm sure you'll get some to 'take' image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • CloggieCloggie Posts: 1,457

    I'm giving rooted Black Knight cuttings away to neighbours who i asked to dig out their self-seeded common buddleia (the lilac one that you see growing in walls along the subway in London and along the coast through the rocks in Bristol) - it was self-seeding in my gravel drive!

    They are prolific but fantastic full of butterflies when in flower.

  • CloggieCloggie Posts: 1,457

    ...oh and they smell nice too!

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Black Knight is very nice Cloggie. I have a couple here and have given cuttings away too. Lovely rich colour  and very prolific.

    Hopefully the butterflies will be around when it flowers - it's been a bit unsettled, cold and windy here this week for all the insects image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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