growing a Buddleia as a tree?

Can you turn your normal old run of the mill "wild" type Butterfly bush into a tree? We have one that has turned into a bit of a beast this year and is in totally the wrong place for such MASSIVE bush! I've noticed that amidst the jumble of branches there is one thick branch thats really straight for about 4ft ish high before it forks out into more branches, i was wondering if i pruned away everything but that one long branch.....could i turn it into a tree? Is it possible to grow your average joe wild butterfly bush as a standard?

 

I had one which turned more into a tree than a shrub and on warm Spring evenings, I even dangled lanterns with lit tea lights from the stronger branches; so pretty!

One word of caution HB, when you trim off the parts you don't want, be careful not to leave so much as one leaf on the ground ... they can take root!

 

Yes @JWK the 4ft ish branch that will become the trunk of "my tree" is already as thick as my arm! Awesome as i wont have to bother with staking it and @"M" that sounds wonderful! It'd be lovely if i could manage something similar, with fairy lights perhaps! You have me feeling quite excited

i cant seem to find the info im after there are a few "how to" sites but they seem to be just covering the initial steps like how to train the trunk (which i dont have to do as its already there i just need to take out the other main branches) but once i do that....what do i do with the branches/stems/growth at the top of my "tree? Do i pollard it? Every spring? Or do i try to fashion a canopy of thick branches spreading up and out? This is an exablished shrub its gonna put on a lot of growth each year.....do i need to thin out the new growth throughout the year? Or leave it after a spring tidy up? I have absolutely no idea what im doing

And what does a large buddleia davidii grown as a standard even look like? I cant find any pictures bar those tiny piddly lollipop dwarf type ones?

 

Hi Honeybunny,

As for the top pruning etc, just ignore in your mind that it is on a stem and prune as you would normally as it's still the same plant as it would be if being grown as a shrub in the ground.

 

I did it! Our huge buddleia is now a rather pretty little tree! Im quite chuffed tbh huge improvement on how it looked before! Wish i had taken a before and after picture now but oh well, here's a pic anyway......

 

That looks really good. I must try and train a young one the same way. It will look great when in flower.


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Yes looks good, I just found a sapling in my garden of one so will do the same. I already did this with a potentilla and it always gets admired, I will post a picture when I find out how. I'm pretty sure now that most shrubsl can be trained this way so I'm eager to try some others.

 

Looks great!

 

me too! ive been looking around the garden to see what could possibly be my next victim " title="Thinking " /> i think the garden may actually be frightened

wow Shiney yours looks ace! love the idea of growing a clematis up it too great excuse for me to go out and buy a new one

 

You tortured yours? Mine is merely contorted