Lespedeza Candy Girl

Like a candy store for late season pollinators

Discovered in his Cape Cod garden by Cornell University graduate and renowned plantsman David Geiger, Candy Girl is everything gardeners love about bush clover, reimagined in a more refined, garden-friendly package.

When late summer arrives and many perennials begin to fade, Candy Girl bursts into bloom with an incredible display of rich raspberry-pink and paler pink to white bicolor flowers with red flares at the base of each petal. The plant becomes so densely covered in blooms that the foliage nearly disappears beneath the floral show. At peak bloom, the constant hum of bees and other pollinators is unmistakable. This plant is truly a late-season feast.

Unlike traditional bush clovers that can become oversized, floppy, or sprawling, Candy Girl maintains a naturally upright, compact habit. Its sturdy branches hold thousands of flowers upright, keeping the display visible and attractive instead of draping onto the ground. Every bloom gets its moment to shine.

While many varieties claim to be dwarf, Candy Girl delivers on that promise, maturing to just 4 to 5 feet tall and wide over 5 to 10 years. It fits beautifully into sunny perennial borders, pollinator gardens, and mixed shrub plantings where larger selections simply overwhelm the space. Since Candy Girl is a hybrid, we have never seen any seedlings. Many bush clovers drop viable seed, so if they are an issue in your area, Candy Girl is a great alternative that will not seed around your garden.

If you've admired the spectacular late-season color of bush clover but hesitated because of its size or tendency to flop, Candy Girl is the plant you've been waiting for. With its vibrant bicolor flowers, exceptional pollinator appeal, and truly compact form, this standout selection brings all the drama without the drawbacks.

Plant Candy Girl once, and you'll look forward to her sweet late-summer performance year after year.