In my coastal Southern California garden, 'Secret' was a really good rose. We had 3 plants, at one time, and it was among the last modern HTs to depart.

I wouldn't at all mind growing it again, but I sure wish I thought there was at least a possibility of getting one that wasn't afflicted with every possible sort of virus. That sure didn't help it any.

Get a plant that doesn't have (assorted) Rose Mosaic Viruses added to it.

Mine with RMV was never the size of the other HTs in its bed; same care couldn't offset the RMVs it came with. It was more cold weather tender as well.

Which might explain why warmer weather is its friend.

I think Ann's right. It was one of the most-virused roses I've ever owned. Beautiful bloom. Good fragrance. Good in a vase. Pretty foliage, where not marred by virus. But OH LORD, it was virused.

I grew Secret in Fl. for a bunch of years. It was on fortuniana root stock. Big healthy bush that pumped out tons of beautiful blooms. I'm thinking REAL hard about trying it up here in N. GA. I really liked it a lot. I'll just make sure I winter protect it real well. Now, I have never grown it on anything but fortuniana rootstock. To me it sounds like the rootstock is the trick to this rose.

Maybe -- But unless the supplier has grafted VI Secret onto VI Fortuniana, you will still deal with all of the different viruses it was infected with, from the git-go.

I have an HT here that hasn't been much in commerce for some years. It grows like crazy on its own roots. It doesn't like to be pruned. Wants to carry a lot of canes. Blooms generously, and doesn't have problems with any diseases we get here.

I wish to God it had never been budded. It didn't NEED to be budded. All budding did for 'Gardens Of The World' was to infect it with viruses. :-(

Would an own root of this variety be likely to be infected also?

Yes, Sara. Unless it is Virus-indexed.

Thank you Jeri, and everyone..

I've grown Secret (first year bare root) and I grow Secret's Out, the white sport of Secret. Neither have ever demonstrated any symptoms of RMV, though I know that doesn't mean they aren't infected, they just haven't shown symptoms. Both have been great roses in high heat with not terribly hard winters. I understand from friends who tried growing it in Ohio that it is not terribly winter hardy for harsher climates. I can verify this rose LOVES water! It flourishes where it can be drowned regularly. When Secret's Out hesitates flowering, I bump up the water and it responds with many buds. It demands much more water than any of the surrounding roses. You'll have best form and color if you can protect it from the harshest afternoon sun. Keep it far away from hardscape, no side walks or walls/fences. Increased heat increases its thirst for even MORE water. Kim

Kim -- Back when 'Secret' was new, we had 3 of it.

One came from J&P, one from Weeks, and the third, I think, was Coiner-grown.

ALL of them at one time or another, demonstrated minor evidence of virus. The Coiner rose, in some years, broke out so it looked like a very lively paisley scarf.

And YET . . . The Coiner plant, despite that, was by far the more vigorous of the 3, and so remained here for years after removal of HTs began.

FWIW . . .

I wanted to try this rose but now I am afraid. Is there a rose close to Secret's fragrance they would be a better substitute? Thanks for any recommendations.

Terri in PA

Kim, any evidence of RMV on your Secret's Out! yet? I started growing one last year and added three more last month. I hadn't noticed any RMV. Hopefully, because of its recent 2009 introduction date, Witherspoon & Star Roses were more aware of spreading RMV. However, because it sported off Secret, which was most likely virused, I now assume it's a carrier. I was pleasantly surprised by SO, it's a beautiful white rose and I would hate to pull it out . If RMV stayed localized to individual plants it wouldn't be so bad, but the fact it can spread via pruning shears, aphids, and probably root contact ruins entire collections.

I have a Professeur Emile Perrot at a previous house that shows really bad RMV, consequently all my roses had RMV and I had to leave them behind, I am therefore trying to avoid a repeat if at all possible.

I have grown Secret in a pot for 7 years. It has done very well...lots of blooms. No sign of virus,as of yet. I am zone 6a in Louisville,KY. I do not winter protect my roses so that is why it is in a pot.

My
original Secret was likely a J&P plant. Secret's Out was a canned plant from
Ventura Nursery in Tarzana, CA and didn't have a source tag on it. Neither ever
expressed any viral symptoms. I gave the Secret's Out away last March when I
moved and the old Secret went away in 2007 when I dismantled the Newhall garden.
But, the only way to know for sure is to obtain VI material. You can do that by
either obtaining whatever it is from Heirloom, as they supposedly have
everything they offer indexed, or buying cuttings or bud wood from UC Davis
Foundation Plant Services and propagating it yourself. Per their latest
list, they offer both varieties.

I
understand the desire not to have RMV in your garden, but the chances of
spreading it from one plant to the next by any other method of transmission than
propagation are so improbable, not growing something for fear of its being
"contagious" is rather extreme. With as wide-spread as RMV infection had been at
one time, your other roses were very likely already infected long before you
ever touched them. Being a newer rose actually doesn't really improve your
chances of its being clean. IF the source has made the efforts to maintain clean
stock, you may luck out. All it takes, though, is for a schlock producer to get
hold of it and bud it on dirty stock and you have a new rose with RMV. I'd be
highly suspect of anything bought from a big box store or from "garden centers"
who charge bargain prices. Those types of outlets shop for the cheapest
merchandise possible. When it comes to roses, that frequently means, and has
meant for decades, infected stock.

I've
grown many hundreds of obviously infected plants. Those which demonstrated
symptoms continued demonstrating them. Those which didn't, very seldom suddenly
did. None which did begin demonstrating symptoms were indexed, so they stood the
same chances of being infected as any of the others. MANY grew cheek to jowl
with symptomatic plants and never expressed any symptoms. Do what allows you to
feel secure, but denying yourself something out of fear of RMV is a bit
"overkill".

I disagree via mode of transmission Kim. If it is a virus and is visible on leaves the virus will be circulating in the sap. The simple task of pruning one plant to the next without sterilizing tools will spread the virus. That's just basic microbiology. Anecdotally, I remember having clean plants of White Blush, Royal Blush, and Crimson Blush from Heirloom. Back then I didn't care about RMV because it seemed inevitable. Eventually, all my plants succumbed.

I now have a new garden with some VID varieties. I would like to keep them unvirused if I can. Otherwise, what's the point of devirusing roses?

Last I checked Davis charges about $3,000 to index any rose. Rather prohibitive unless I limit my garden to whatever's already cleaned and one favorite out of pocket commission. Which isn't really an option considering what's on Davis' limited availability list.

Hopefully, because Secret's Out! is on the list, the plants I have are indexed. I've only seen them offered locally from Star Roses, which charges a premium over Coiners.

Don't bet on it. I've grown far too many Star Roses with heavy RMV infection.

If worst comes to worst I have some budding to do in the future :-)

I just got a Secret on Fortuniana and it's doing gang-buster great. The weather here in South Florida has been on the cool side (50s-60s at night and 60s-70s during the day). I think the weather plays a crucial role in the plants development and flowering.

My secret isn't terribly vigorous, but when it blooms, its awesome. Doesn't like our zone 5b winters either.

I've not seen any sign of virus transmission in my yard with over 200 roses--been growing them since 2001. It may help that the highly variable Connecticut weather reveals the presence of viruses every year, so nothing stays hidden very long. At one time I did grow them very close together, in groups of four, but I've been moving them away from each other--I've gotten pretty good at moving large mature plants when they are dormant.