I used to have both 'Cardinal Hume' and 'Purple Buttons' here, but when I stopped spraying the garden in 2010, both gradually died from chronic blackspot infection.

'Purple Buttons' is exactly like a miniature 'Cardinal Hume'. Mine was about 20" tall at maturity.

Both have an odd fragrance with the dominant note being cinnamon.

I just got it last year, was kinda sleepy and didn’t do much. This year it started to leaf out but developed blackspot and was somewhat puny.

Then the deer came so I sprayed it with Deer Off and it HATED that. Looks pretty crappy right now but our weather has been awful so maybe if we get some heat it will perk up

It definitely is a dwarf version of Cardinal Hume, complete with the same color velvety purple petals and that scent, which is to my nose, "Red Hots" hot cinnamon. It flowers repeatedly any time there is sufficient warmth to promote blooming. As for health? That will depend upon whether you spray or not and what disease pressures exist where you are. It, and Hume, were completely acceptable in Southern California where it was born.

PB is adorable. Mine is planted in front of (safely distant!) CH, and it gives the impression of one huge plant clothed to the ground in bloom...when the timing is just right. As it is, after the first Spring flush it's iffy whether they are synchronous. They are both about equally susceptible to blackspot, but neither of them will defoliate. Part of that is no doubt from being planted in a bit too much shade for their liking. But even with a multi- acre garden, there's only so many places to put a rose where the water hose will reach, lol. I've been spraying them *once* just as daytime temps hit the 70's, and once in mid-summer (Bayer Disease Control), and that seems to keep them presentable. I don't spray all my roses (impossible, even if I wanted to and could afford it!), but these two are jewels, and I'm willing to spray for the sake of their gorgeous color and odd but pleasant scent. PB is almost 30" high here, but he's special and gets a diet of horse manure and compost, once in mid-Spring after first flush, once in late Fall.

Regardless of how PB turns out for you, it's definitely worth experimenting with. It's one of Kim's quirkiest, but best roses, up there with Lauren and Annie Laurie McDowell.

I've grown 'Purple Buttons' for something like 8 or 9 years now and it has made a wide-spreading bush of about 2.5' tall and 5' wide, even with its so-so location with no special care. It is in bloom all the time. It generally gets a bit of PM early in the season here and looks a little ratty then, but soon shakes that off and is a very nice sight over a long season.

As you can see, if the climate favors the health of these two roses, you'll do fine. But if you live where the disease pressure is high, expect to spray or you will probably experience severe blackspot.

Thanks for all the responses. You are the best! My area does have high BS pressure so I may need to spray. I haven't done any spray since I started to grow roses four years ago. What products do you recommend to use in lots of rainy days in Seattle? If only the systematic solution would work, I think maybe it's better to plant my PB in the pot since it's short.

I have enjoyed Purple Buttons immensely, the gorgeous color of the star-like blooms, the Red Hots candy scent and the compact model size. PB has been pretty darm healthy for me until this spring. We had record breaking rain—wet, wet wet, wet! Everything that can blackspot is blackspotting. PB is no exception. The China-Bourbon rose Hermosa, normally clean Zephirine Drouhin and a couple of Hybrid Teas have been the worst! Ugh. PB is not the worst by far. I predict it will shake off the blackspot and return to good health as Portland dries out. Ordinarily, my PB’s foliage looks like the photo below.

Paul’s blackspot treatment is great info, so I’m really glad you asked about PB. It’s so necessary to get the science right to protect the environment from further damage and also maintain reasonable balance our gardens. My garden is no spray, but I know that a few thoughtfully and carefully treated plants using thoughtfully and carefully chosen preventatives can make a great difference in heavy pressure climates. It might be worth trying PB no spray first. Mine was never really very diseased, even though I live up the road from Paul. This is, I think, a great example of the variance of microclimates within a region and the mysteries of the universe. It’s also worth noting that my PB has grown even healthier as it has matured...until this spring when everything exploded. I hope your PB gives you as much joy as mine gives me! Carol

True color of the starry night, deep burgundy velvet bloom. The color in photo 1 is a bit off.