I would go with Dan's suggestion. Take the strongest, thickest, straightest branch and stake it up vertically. This will become the trunk of your weeping butterfly bush tree. Then prune back all of the other branches. I know this sounds severe, but what you're doing is making a mini-weeping tree or what they call a standard. It'll eventually look like a shorter version of a weeping cherry. You'll want to decide what height you want that one branch (trunk) to weep from and then just cut it at that height. It will sprout from there and those sprouts will form the weeping branches that will flower next year. Keep in mind that for a few years, the main trunk will try to sprout along its length. You'll want to maintain the trunk by pruning these lower branches so that the shrub can focus all of its energy on developing the branches at the very top. It'll also take a lot of energy and some time for the trunk to thicken. Mine was doing great until the weight of the winter snow cracked the main branch (trunk). What a bummer. I should have done a better job of supporting the main branch on the stake. Best of luck to you!

Ok I'm convinced!:) Thanks for the replies and that's why I asked, I figured other gardeners would know. This was a bush I hadn't grown before. I saw it on walks growing over a stone wall early last summer and when I saw young plants in Lowe's I couldn't resist. I've seen it growing straggly and I've seen it growing pretty good shaped. I'm aiming for the latter which is why I was experimenting with some cutting to see if I could encourage other growth last fall when it was still actively growing and blooming. My bushes all bloomed long past when they were supposed to, I've still got a few azaleas blooming on one bush even through the freeze. Another question then I've just gotten out of the 20's two days ago now there was only minimal frost damage to these plants, you're saying this is a good time to go ahead then and cut it down now? Thanks again and I appreciate all your comments and advice, it's alot more information than what I got off the internet. Leslie

I have done both! Cutting it all the way back keeps it at a more reasonable size. One year I pruned one to look like a bonsai. That was pretty neat. It seems that you can't kill the things, so don't be afraid to give it a hard prune. Teresa

I have some that are "trees". I don't do the severe spring pruning (chopping them to the ground). I've let them develop woody trunks. They're now about 15-18 feet tall, I'd say. They have formed a nice umbrella-like canopy, and I hang suet feeders inside, which the birds love. I have a seating area under a pair of trees, which is really nice. I selectively prune out dead wood in spring. You'll always have some dead twigs. And I just selectively prune back certain branches to form new wood, and try to shape the Buddleia the way I want it to grow. If too much new growth comes from my pruning, I just cut out what I don't want. You will need pole pruners to dead head the really high flowers. While my Buddleia cultivars have never seeded in my garden, there is some concern with Buddleia (more in Oregon than in Washington, I think) becoming aggressive by seed, so I think if you're going to grow Buddleia, you should only do so if you can dead head regularly.