Anyone know what this is please?

Hi all, as Ive explained in the new members section, we have just moved house and are new to gardening

I will probably be posting quite a bit in this section for identification purposes, if thats alright of course

(hopefully my picture will upload ok) Can any of you identify what this tall plant is......

 

Welcome to GC newtoitall

It's a rather spindly Buddleja davidii (I'm guessing on the species I'll admit ) it will have lovely purple scented plumes of flowers in mid to late summer once it gets established and will bring in butterflies from all round

Random pretty photo form flickr:


Vanessa Atlanta by DutchAstrid, on Flickr

 

Wow, fantastic thank you very much for the response. I'll be back with more photo's later hopefully I'll be able to build a map of whats in my new garden.

Thanks again,
Steve

 

If it's chopped down low now, it should bush out, even at this late stage. They're generally very vigorous.

 

How much would you recommend I take off the top? I wasn't sure if it was meant to be that tall......it does look kind of fragile as it is!

 

I think roughly where I've marked on the photo should do maybe 2-3 inches form the main stem just above a bud at a 45° angle

 

Eh? Are you serious? Really cut it down there!
How long would it take to recover?

 

They are very vigorous growers and by July it would easily be the same size again buddleja should be pruned yearly in spring

Posted on the go.

 

It's true, honest! I cut mine downto that level in March every year and by July it's back the same size again. If you don't cut it back by Autumn yours will be twice as high and wide as it is now and flopping about all over the place in all probability. Be brave.

 

Well, I've only gone and done it!!!!!!! (I hope you good people were being serious, or I'm done for)

Picture of evidence to follow

 

honest it will be fine, look what gardeners world did to this one

http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/creative-projects/how-to-prune-buddleja/48.html

they are amazingly versatile plants which grow just about anywhere, I've seen them on church steeples before now growing out of the lime mortar

 

Oh not the old "cut it right back & it'll grow back" trick again

Thought i'd told you lot to not do that to new members.

 

:WINK1: