Leave them until spring. The old growth might offer a little protection, especially if leaves get blown in and pile up. Wind damage is irrelevant since they should be cut down every year anyway. Otherwise they end up as an ugly tangle of twigs and dead flower heads. But isn't Buddleja marginal where you are anyway?

You're right floral_uk, buddleias are marginal here; they do die down to the ground and start fresh every year, if all goes well. Since I already lost one last year, they are still young, and winters can be rough with heavy winds, I think they may have a better chance of survival if I I ignore esthetics, and rather wait till spring before pruning them back.

Definitely wait until spring. Greatly increases chance of dying if you prune now.

I'm a bit confused on buddleia and pruning. I had always heard they either will die back or need to be pruned. Two years ago I bought my first two, in late summer. One got planted, the other lived in a pot over winter. Since the in-ground one got planted late, I did not prune since it was so small and new.

Come spring, when I went out to assess, it was already growing and looking good. It ended up doing wonderfully, growing almost four feet tall and putting out non-stop blooms. Come fall, I had no time to prune, and figured I'd do it in spring.

But this spring, when I went out to assess, ready to cut it all back, it was already growing and doing well, and sprouting new growth from the old wood, which I thought was what I should have pruned. So I didn't touch it, and again, it did beautifully this year. So now I'm wondering if I NEED to prune after all.

As someone who is terrified of pruning lol, I am more than happy to leave them be. But still, the consensus here seems to be that that they should indeed be pruned, huh? I will wait till spring lol. It will give me more time to prepare myself! :)

Dee

well, if your winters are mild enough the Buddleja will reach some impressive hight after 2-3 years, but IMO with a scraggely habitus. I once tended a garden on sandy soil, after a stormy winter one of the buddlejas was loosend by the wind, probably would have done better with some light pruning.

Personally I love to prune, and IME the shrubs grow more vigorouse if you prune (according to each species and all) Buddleja grow lovely if cut back to about knee high, and I prefer flowers in a hight where I can see them...

so just go for it next spring

O.K. I get it that in my zone it is best to leave the buddleias alone and prune in spring.

Does the same hold true for transplanting ?

I did not realize how tall my two purple buddleias would grow. In their first season both grew at least 5 foot tall. Next year they will interfere with a smaller one in between them, so I need to mover it. My plan is to wait till spring when the new growth appears. Will this be all right?

For transplanting definitely wait until spring.