I have one, now in its second year. It is indeed very beautiful. And after cutting back this spring, it has stayed quite small--maybe 3x3.

Wow that’s a beautiful one!! I want to plant one next year, I’ll add it to my list!

@laceyvail 6A, WV, any chance you have a picture or two from this past summer/fall for your 2nd year GC?

(I placed an order for a GC just this past week.)

Sorry, no camera or cell phone here, and I hope to move it this spring to my new home to which I will be moving in a couple of weeks--only 4 miles up the road, but much smaller property.

I expect to be asking lots of questions about the landscaping I plan to do around this new build. I'm an experienced gardener, but the soil at new place is more limey than I'm used to.

Rouge, I can tell you that the plant is still quite small--maybe 2 1/2 ft--and cut back each spring. I hope your plant isn't expected until spring planting; Buddleias don't establish well with fall planting in my experience.

UPDATE (September 2022):

So I bought a GC BB from an on line grower. I took delivery of it in early May 2022. It took until September 1st to see any flowers. Here it is today; as advertised the panicles are very large.

Hey @laceyvail 6A, WV, how did yours do this season?

@mazerolm_3a did you find time to get one this spring?

Unfortunately, since had sold my old place--the garden there is completely destroyed, overrun by weeds--the Buddleia 'GC' that I brought with me from there has not done well in my new garden. The soil is heavy clay and we've had a lot--really a lot-- of rain. I don't think it's in the cards for it in the long run.

we've had a lot--really a lot-- of rain

Oh I so wish you could send some our way. SO dry again now.

From this past week:

Beautiful Rouge!!

That's quite the mass amount of bloom power going on there, I might have to try this one! I have 'Royal Red' and 'Black Knight' planted together next to the front step, they now must be 8 ft tall and been blooming for months, flower spikes much smaller in size now though, but looks nice as they peer though the dining room window ... sorry, currently do not have a working camera.

sorry, currently do not have a working camera.

Get that rectified asap! :)

Nice!

@rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a): your butterfly bush is fantastic! I love the huge blooms and soft color!

I did buy one a few weeks ago, it’s a dwarf variety, with burgundy blooms. It’s not planted yet, but I’m looking forward to see how it performs here.

Update (May 13/23):

So I left this GCascade (shown in pictures in this thread) in the container and put it in the garage this past winter. I took it out sometime in mid to late April as it showed teeny signs of life! (Excuse my excitedness as it isn't usual for me to keep alive a BB over successive seasons :))

And here it is today after being outside for a good 3 weeks:

Anyone else get a Grand Cascade last season or planning to this year?

Here it is again, the second year in our possession.

It does take a long time for it to start flowering (I'm not sure if that is related to it being in a container or if is typical for this variety.)

I originally planted it in a container as I had no garden space, let alone in full sun, for such a large plant, As well I thought that I would be more successful overwintering it in the garage. This was the case for this past winter/spring.

But this BB must be now very root bound in this pot as the bush shows signs of thirst too frequently for such a normally water conserving plant. I'm not sure what I will do with it going forward :(.

Wow, Rouge, I just saw this thread. Those are huge blooms. Can you tell me how is this Buddleia for fragrance and attracting pollinators and hummingbirds? And does it keep blooming until Frost?

I don't have room for that large of a butterfly bush but I could grow it in a container like you did.

Hey "prairie"!

Funny you mention about pollinators as I *just* relocated it earlier this morning (from the spot that was pictured above i.e. next to the car/driveway) to a spot where we can more easily view it. So I will report back, hoping to see more butterflies and hummingbirds..fingers crossed. (If there is a scent it is very subtle ;))(This is only the second season I have had this bush in the garden; in both years it took till September before it got to full bloom and as I recall it was in bloom all of October.)

Yes the flowers are crazy large:

That makes quite a nice centerpiece there! Yes, I'd love to hear how it compares to the usual Buddleia for pollinating and fragrance. Good luck with it!

Sorry @prairiemoon2 z6b MA for the delay in responding.

I thought of you when I saw this today:

There is a slight fragrance...maybe too slight.

Rouge, thanks for the photo of the butterfly on your Grand Cascade. I finally did see a Monarch today - It's sad to see a single without a mate or a friend.

I bought a new dwarf variety this year and I'm not impressed. If there is a fragrance it is very slight. I'm tempted to try for the older varieties that are the original size. Sometning like 'Black Knight'. But this 'Grand Cascade' seems to be in a category all it's own. For display that is amazing. In that lilac color, it looks like oversized lilac blooms.

I also bought a dwarf variety basically because I have no room for a larger one. rouge, that bush is gorgeous! Wish I had space….🙁

debra

Of the more compact varieties, 'Buzz Midnight' is quite exceptional, though unfortunately had not returned spring '22, will again source the plant if possible. 'Pink Delight' is really nice, though does not have an extended bloom time. Both 'Royal Red' and 'Black Knight' have near identical growth habit, but this year grew 7 ft tall and open, previous years had been better behaved. 'Crown Jewels' is bushy full of attractive yellow foliage with contrasting dark blooms that keep going to frost. 'Grand Cascade' is very tempting!

FrozeBudd, if you could only have ONE Buddleia, which one would you keep?

Great question @prairiemoon2!!

Hard to give just one, but will do a countdown ... these are the plants I've lost and have mourned, lol, thus were that worthy to me. 'Buzz Hot Raspberry', perfect in containers, blooms near continuously, though never got a chance to get in the ground as had croaked while in winter storage in the garage, definitely would grow again!

Ahhh, 'Buzz Midnight, what a color and really nice foliage as well!, plant was getting some good size to it when it decided not to make its return. :(

My favorite, 'Crown Jewels', has luminous chartreuse foliage and blooms only stopped by October frosts, plant is of more substantial size compared to the two above and fits better with my foundation plantings, photo from Walter's Gardens.

As of today:

This is the third and likely the last season for this potted BB. There is lots to like about it but it is too vigorous for this container as it more or less requires watering twice a day once we get to July. It is difficult for me to move it into and out of the garage and move it around the yard. I'd love to see it reach its potential in the ground but I have zero space in full sun for such a large plant :(.

I am emphatically not a buddleja fan but a coupla years ago, I bought a b.'Silver Anniversary' - a hybrid between b.loricata and b.crispa, which has been beautiful in my dry garden. I have now ordered the straight b.crispa (after seeing one in the wild) - another gorgeous, felted tomentose beauty.

I bought a b.'Silver Anniversary'

I remember this from...last year?! (I dont want to bug you but if you ever are able to post pics, Id love to see this BB).

Rosa, b.'Silver Anniversary', looks irresistible ! :)

Came across 'Pink Cascade', gorgeous blooms, very tempting, though with being late blooming, I decided to leave be. Am looking for a replacement for Joe Pye 'Gateway' situated along the east side of the house. Mmmm, could always place Joe Pye 'Ruby' in there and this constrained grower then leaves space for a few other plants.

I understand completely @FrozeBudd_z3/4 re your concern about the "late blooming" aspect for these Cascades. But for you, like me, they would still bloom starting around mid August and you would be ok for (at least?) a month in your location. You have enough land that you could give it a try ;).

It's beautiful but I think it has been hybridized from buddleia lindleyana which I grow and regret growing. It spreads stoloniferously and rampantly. I don't know if Grand Cascade does. If not, I would like to try it. I like my Pugster Amethyst and Pugster Blue although the blue one's blooms so far are not as big ( in its first year). They are a beautiful color, very deep. Here's a link to PLant Delight's page on buddleia lindleyana:

https://www.plantdelights.com/products/buddleia-lindleyana?srsltid=AfmBOoo6N_Ez2VtGWXFEh-W505reeIA5mY8jUORheXHFEESs3YtjcWU_

Looks like I could grow one in a big pot , at least for awhile.

Thanks @erasmus_gw. I know there is invariably this discussion re the "invasiveness" of any buddleia. As mentioned in my original post, I can tell you that in my location it is not considered invasive (and I had read previously that this particular variety is sterile).

What do you do with your 'rejects' Rouge? I am fairly ruthless in disposing of unwanted seedlings but still struggle to 'retire' a perfectly good (but inappropriate) plant (although am planning an absolute brutal culling of the many huge roses and several fruit trees at the allotment).

but still struggle to 'retire' a perfectly good (but inappropriate) plant

I lose sleep over healthy plant "relocation". I will first try to 'shuffle the deck' in our own garden or next 'guerilla garden' just beyond our property or give away to gardening friends or occasionally advertise it to sell. For this particular plant and its "situation", rootbound in a pot and not the most reliable to survive our winter in the ground it will be hard to do any of the above :(.

Rouge, I am not worried about it spreading by seed. In my climate, zone 7 NC, I don't have buddleias spreading by seed. Lindleyana spreads from the roots and is a huge grower as well. I don't know if Grand Cascade does that but it has Lindleyana genes. I am not casting a shade on Grand Cascade...looks very good to me but I have to find out more about whether it suckers.

Rouge, yes, indeed true, should have ample time to complete most of its flowering prior to hard frost, should have purchased the thing, nursery is a distant drive, so will hold off until next year.

Id send you mine but I think it might be tricky getting it to you 😏.