I think I've managed to kill it!

[fudgecat]

Huge buddleia was here when we moved in 7 years ago, each autumn I've brutally hacked it back to about a foot from the ground and each year it it's shot back up to about 2m tall. Just been out and had a look and still no signs of life.... Aibu to secretly hope I've finally killed it and can use the space it took for something else

I've managed to kill one as well, it completely rotted at the base. Its twin sprung up from the roots though, and is now as big as the original one.

You need to remove the rootball. I did, and it has never grown back

Buddleja is lovely!
You do need to get rid of the rootball to be sure it’s gone but I can’t understand why anyone would want to!
They are such lovely plants

I killed one by accident. It was a very pretty variegated type with dark pink flowers. I pruned it once and it died.

We had one that was huge and planted right up against the house, blocking the light from part of the window. It took two of us to dig it out and involved a saw and an axe to deal with the huge roots. There's another one I've got my eye on - they're just thuggish and although the flowers are lovely they look a mess.

@Cakeonthefloor

I killed one by accident. It was a very pretty variegated type with dark pink flowers. I pruned it once and it died.

I need you in that case!

Sounds like you've finally won I've just bought a new one, but this time I'm keeping it firmly under my control by putting it in a large pot!

I just don't believe you can possibly kill a buddleia- here they are pretty much indestructible - I'm sure if we dug one out at the roots it would still come back ....

Mine’s only just beginning to shoot, and I think that’s a shoot that started in autumn and never got pruned

I would hold fire,.it's been a cold Spring, my plants are very behind as to what they were this time last year.
Buddleias are normally very resilient.

@zaffa - we did. We since discovered the previous owners of our house had planted several around the place.