ADVICE PLEASE - Buddleia

[linda]

We moved to the countryside and our propery has a buddleia (tree/bush??) in the front garden (it is approx 7ft tall, white - but has now gone mostly brown) , which I want to take down as it is not in a good place (for us) and is near the main road.

HOWEVER..... because it attracts so many butterflies I want to plant another one (or maybe more) in a different area. We have a paddock and I was wondering if the buddleia can be planted in an open area or if there is a specific and / or best place to plant them.

The buddleia I am going to take down - I am assuming that it is best to take it down in the winter? I want to minimise any disturbance to the wildlife !

I have no knowledge about trees / plants so if anyone could advise me I would be most grateful.

I have only just noticed another small one has just popped up about 3 feet away from the large one, which is about 2-3 feet tall.

[JohnR]

Buddleia are fairly indestructible. Now is the time to take cuttings if you want to (just Google "Buddleia Cuttings"). Otherwise I would cut it back now to a couple of shoots above the thick hardwood, probably about 4ft high, this will give you a smaller plant to move in November. The edge of a paddock, in the sun, would be ideal. If you want to plant more, there is the common purple, one described as black which is a very dark blue and others called red which tend to be a pinkish red. The honey coloured ones tend to have much smaller flowers. You can plant them in clumps at about 4-5 ft apart so that they intermingle in a few years. Since the garden centres sell them in pots it doesn't matter when you plant them but again November is a good time which lets them get established before the hard weather. In future years you prune in March when the new growth is starting but don't panic about pruning, if you let them go they will just grow bigger and stragglier. Good luck.

[linda]

JohnR,
Thank you so much for your advise.
Linda.