[Benny130]

Hi have this which I believe is a budlea. Can anyone confirm?

It’s taking over a bit. Can I and should I chop this right back? It has beautiful purple flowers which I don’t want to lose altogether.

[Yorkie]

Yes, definitely a buddleia and you haven't left it too late to give it a very hard prune:

"Most buddleja flower on the branches that grow in early summer, so can be pruned hard to a low framework of permanent stems in early spring (late March-mid-April)."
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/buddleja/growing-guide

[Growster...]

Fabulous shrub there!

We take ours down to about two ft off the ground, and let the sprouts start afresh each year! It's a white one, and gets covered in butterflies every time it gets going!

Like Yorkie says, you're just in time to cut it back, but don't shred the branches, as you'll finish up with a whole garden of the stuff if you spread the chippings!

[Agatha]

Cutting back hard will actually prolong its life.  Buddlea wood tends to be quite brittle and I've seen a few that didn't get pruned that ended up splitting right down the middle in high winds and then dying.  So cut back 1-2 feet above ground level.  They flower on this year's growth.

[snowdrops]

I normally prune by half in the autumn & then again in late spring as Yorkie suggests, leaving some stems a bit taller, but the rest short for a graduated effect of flowers

[Benny130]

Thanks for the help!