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How to make a buddleia tree?

lb191lb191 Posts: 80
in Plants

Hi,

I used to have a buddleia and was under the impression I was supposed to cut it right back each year to get it to do well.

It was doing fine but i thought it was really scruffy looking.

They all look pretty scruffy to me actually.

I just saw a tree on google and it looks stunning. I like how tue leaves and flowers have started to neatly droop downwards.

How do I get a buddleia to do that? I'm pretty sure if I just stopped cutting it would still be scruffy but woody too. 

How long might it take? How do I pick a suitable variety?

Thanks

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    could you show us that google image?

    I agree with you re buddleias being scruffy, it's the nature of the plant.

    I think you could only achieve a tree by starting with a new one and never cutting it back in the tradition of buddleia pruning. It could have selected branches pruned, but once you've cut one right back it just throws up loads of shoots.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • lb191lb191 Posts: 80

    Here is a pic of what I like. Some "trees" are just a bush on a stick.

    image

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    that's been cut back and is quite mature. It's splendid but probably still looks scruffy when past the best flowering.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • lb191lb191 Posts: 80

    It might look like topiary if I trimmed it after flowering though?

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Buddleia and topiary? Hmmm

    If you cut the ends off after flowering you will have sticks

    Topiary is usually created from plants with insignificant flowers and small evergreen leaves.

    But try it, you might achieve something better than that which I'm imaginingimage

    Last edited: 15 February 2017 16:29:13



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150

    I think lb191 is looking to grow buddleia as a "standard" rather than "topiary".

    The description of "bush on a stick" leads me to this conclusion.

    A standard is grown by allowing the main leader stem of a young shrub to grow to the approx desired height and then the growing tip is "pinched out" to stop vertical growth and encourage bushiness to start from that point.  Lower branches are removed early to maintain the "tree look".  This style is more often used with fuschias and roses. I have a standard bay tree.

    I've never heard of it used for buddleia, and the one in your pic looks more bushy with multiple stems coming from ground level. 

    I think the one in the pic has maybe been pruned only halfway down at some point and the resulting growth has become bushy on top with bare stems below. ???

    I'm no expert lb191 (don't even have a buddleia) just offering my thoughtsimage

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