Deadhead Buddleia 'Buzz' or leave Seeds for Birds

Discussion in 'Other Plants' started by Kevin Cowans, Jul 19, 2025.

  1. Kevin Cowans

    Kevin Cowans Total Gardener

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    Hello all

    I Hope you are Well.

    I have a Buddleia 'Buzz Sky Blue' in my Back Garden.

    As you may know, Buddleia 'Buzz' are Sterile so they do not Spread throughout the Garden.

    It is currently Flowering and there are some Dead Flowers present, I am wondering whether to Deadhead it or leave the Seeds for Birds.

    How popular are the Seeds of a Buddleia to Birds, does anyone know?

    Thanks in advance

    Kevin
     
  2. Pete8

    Pete8 Total Gardener

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    It seems they may produce a few seeds, but not a lot.

    From Google -

    • "Buzz" Series:
      The "Buzz" series of Buddleja, such as 'Buzz Hot Raspberry', are known for their compact size and continuous flowering. While often marketed as sterile, they may still produce some seeds through cross-pollination.
     
  3. floralies

    floralies Gardener

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    I have never seen birds go for my "Buzz" flower seeds, i keep them deadheaded for the butterflies.
     
  4. The Buddleja Garden

    The Buddleja Garden Gardener

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    Deadhead it. The Buzz plants are fertile, and research shows they're as fertile as any other Buddleja davidii when in range of other Buddleja cultivars. I always get seed capsules on these plants, and have even grown on some of the seedlings.
    I've never seen birds eating the seeds - I have goldfinches that eat all the Rudbeckia and Teazel seeds, but they never touch the Buddlejas. What you might see is blues tits searching the spent flowers for spiders.
     
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    • fairygirl

      fairygirl Total Gardener

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      I've never seen goldfinches eat the seedheads on my davidiis either, and we have a regular set of visitors. There's one plant that I can't easily reach, so it gets left when it's flowering [it's really just part of the boundary hedge] but they fly past that to get to the sunflower hearts in the feeders. It gets used by plenty of birds as the 'stop off point' between the feeders and the outlying trees/hedges nearby.
       
    • Plantminded

      Plantminded Total Gardener

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      I’ve seen blue tits visiting mine, I thought for seeds but it could well be for spiders, or other insects, as @The Buddleja Garden mentioned, so still a good source of food :). I don’t deadhead mine as I like to see the larger seedheads over winter. If you deadhead them, you get smaller side flowers which I don’t find as attractive. I’ve rarely seen seedlings develop at the base as a result of not deadheading them so not a problem for weeding.
       
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      • Kevin Cowans

        Kevin Cowans Total Gardener

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        Hello all

        Thanks for the Replies.

        Deadhead it is then :)

        Thanks

        Kevin
         
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