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Best David Austin (or similar) rose in the heat?

Most of my roses are as comatose as I feel in the 100 degree 9% humidity heat we are having. The only things blooming are 'Iceberg' (with small flowers) and 'Mrs. BR Cant' which didn't start blooming until temps got up to 90F (and will probably be removed since it has no fragrance). My favorite 'William Shakespeare 2000' can't take much in the way of dry heat. Do you have an opinion of which old-fashioned style roses can take the heat? I'm thinking of 'Radio Times' and 'Bishop's Castle'. Also, 'Sharifa Asma', 'Winchester Cathedral' , 'Baronne Prevost', 'Grandma's Hat' and 'Yves Piaget' are on the radar, but I'm not sure if any of them should be on the list.

Comments (23)

  • charleney
    9 years ago

    Sharifa is a bit fussy for me. Abraham Darby is always blooming, But he has a bit of blackspot (but I spray about 2 times a season). My all time favorite is Evelyn, and If I could only have one, I would choose her every time. I have 2 of Evelyn now! Good luck to you. I really like my Austins.

  • boncrow66
    9 years ago

    I have Evelyn, planted new this spring and she has held up very well in my heat which is more humid than dry.

  • jaspermplants
    9 years ago

    I haven't had a lot of luck with Austin roses in my hot, dry climate. I would say that Evelyn is by far my best Austin but she took a few years to do well. I succumbed to temptation this past winter and bought a couple grafted, bareroot Austin roses at my local nursery: Boscobel & Bishop's Castle. So far they are doing ok, but will not know for sure until the end of the summer. I also planted The Dark Lady about 1 1/2 years ago and it is doing ok. The blooms are beautiful and fragrant!

    I also planted Bolero this past winter (not an Austin, but a Romantica, I think) and I am hoping it will be a winner in my garden. Has done very well so far, but the summer test is not over. It is a lovely rose.

    Hope this helps somewhat; good luck!

  • nickjoseph Milwaukee, WI
    9 years ago

    We have a much cooler summer in Milwaukee, WI thus far, but a couple of Summers ago, we had high 80s & 90s most of the summer. Our Heritage and Fair Bianca continued to grow beautifully. Of course I did more watering then too.

  • dublinbay z6 (KS)
    9 years ago

    Scroll down this David Austin page to see the roses he recommends for Zones 9-10. That may give you some ideas.

    Kate

    Here is a link that might be useful: David Austin page--warmer climate zones

  • Sow_what? Southern California Inland
    9 years ago

    I'm wilted, but Claire Austin, Alnwick, and Tradescant seem unfazed by the heat, and continue blooming away in the scorching sun.

    jannike

  • noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks all for your thoughts!

    Charleney, boncrow66: I love the fragrance of Evelyn, but she doesn't seem to handle the heat very well in the Albuquerque Rose Garden. I'm tempted, but hesitant to try her. I've just planted Abraham Darby so we'll see about that one. I never thought I'd like that color, but the fragrance convinced me to try it. Plus, the ABQ rose society says it does well here, although it doesn't get very good heat tolerance ratings on HelpMeFind.

    jaspermplants: I also planted Bolero. Looks promising, but looks like it will need a year or two to settle in. If Evelyn takes your heat, it shouldn't be a problem here, but maybe the ones at the ABQ rose garden just aren't old enough. Thanks for the suggestions.

    nickjoseph: Hmm, maybe I should try Fair Bianca again. It was such a weakling when I tried it before. But maybe it needed more sun than I gave it. Heritage does have a delicious fragrance.

    dublinbay: (Kate): yes, David Austin's recommendations are why I chose WS 2000, which fries in the heat, so I'm a bit doubtful of his recommendations. Maybe when WS2000 gets older it will tolerate the heat better. I bet you get a lot of summer heat where you are! What does well for you?

    Jannike: Claire Austin did well for you in the heat?! Maybe I should reconsider that one. I have just planted The Alnwick Rose, and it seems stunned by the heat. No growth, but not dying. You give me hope for that one, since I love the look of her blooms, and that raspberry fragrance!

  • dublinbay z6 (KS)
    9 years ago

    Can't help you too much on WS 2000. Mine (about 7 years old) is getting a bit too much shade nowadays, but I have no open sunshiny spot to move it too.

    Whether if would fry in too much sun, I don't know, but I'm not surprised to hear you have problems that way. I deliberately designed my gardens so that a couple strategically placed trees provide some late afternoon protection from the killer-sun we have in late July-August. The late afternoon long shadows are terrific--but poor Shakespeare got a bit too close and is now heavily shadowed by noontime or shortly thereafter.

    My major complaint with Shakespeare is that he is slow to re-bloom--but I figured that had to do with more shade than he needs.

    Good luck in your search.

    Kate

  • andreark
    9 years ago

    My Lady Emma does well in heat. I have 15 Austins. All though I have just put up shade cloth to protect some of my beds from our wicked Calif sun. I don't think many of them do well when it's 100f with a blazing sun. So last year I started using the cloth for July and Aug. They seem to appreciate it.

    andreark

  • boncrow66
    9 years ago

    I am in a more humid climate so I'm sure that makes a different and my golden celebration and Evelyn both get dappled shade around 3 pm but my Heritgae is in the sun all a day and is holding up well. We have also had a rainy June.

  • ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
    9 years ago

    My best Austin bloomer in my hot and dry garden is Bishop's Castle and for that reason I just bought another one. I also bought Yves Piaget because I love it and it looked great in a hot garden in August some years ago. Sophy's Rose has done well in the heat for me except for this year when it is barely blooming in spite of much watering and mulching.

    Ingrid

  • kathy9norcal
    9 years ago

    If you can get hold of a Symphony, go for it. It stays small, has a great shape, and keeps on producing egg yolk yellow blooms that are long lasting as they fade to an almost white color. An all-time favorite rose for me in hotter than hell Central Valley heat.
    {{gwi:308893}}

    I can't say anything good about Tamora, Lillian Austin in the heat although they are wonderful in spring and fall.

  • Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
    9 years ago

    From the land of 100 degree plus temperatures and 5% humidity:

    David Austin's that were NOT heat tolerant in my garden (s)

    Abraham Darby â¦. fried even with morning sun only, then shade, and it was grafted. It is beautifulâ¦. in other gardens. I will NEVER plant it again.

    Sharifa Asmaâ¦. needed more sun than it could handle here so it was removed

    Heritageâ¦. the same as Sharifa Asma

    Jude the Obscure⦠could handle the heat, but I purchased it for the form, color and fragrance. The blooms were so bleached out from the sun that for all intents in purposes, it was almost white.

    Crown Princess Margareta⦠I forgot growing this one, but if I recall correctly, it seemed to handle the heat well, but I moved prior to determining just how well it would perform. It was pretty and held its color okay.

    All seem to prefer afternoon shade, but these are the ones that perform well in my very hot summer garden.

    Bishop's Castle
    Carding Mill
    Golden Celebration
    Charles Rennie Mackintosh
    Young Lycidas
    Glamis Castle ( southern exposure)

    In this hot climate, grafted (Dr. Huey) tends to be more fuss free. Own root, which definitely must be babied, in the long run, could be better/maybe not⦠time will tellâ¦.

    Very pretty non-Austin's performing well:

    Bolero⦠new this year, southern exposure⦠un phased thus far

    Souvenir de la Malmaisonâ¦.

    Paul Neyron⦠seemed to be waiting for hot dry weather to take off

    Reine des Violettes⦠the own root are performing better than the grafted RdV

    Lynn

  • tishtoshnm Zone 6/NM
    9 years ago

    I am in the mountains East of you so about 10 degrees cooler but Glamis Castle has held up well for me in the heat. Crown Princess Margareta has done well, too, although the color bleaches out quite a bit. Crocus Rose has done very well for me too.

    I have both Falstaff and Golden Celebration against my southern facing, stucco wall and they seem to tolerate the heat (Golden Celebration is not liking my soil and water though).

    Not an Austin, but Jacqueline Du Pre was a little slow taking off as an own root but did not seem to mind last weeks heat wave and is covered in blooms. I will say though, I kind of view June as a slow month and look forward to temperatures moderating a bit with the monsoons.

    We planted Boscobel this year and Lady of Shallot but they have a coyote fence providing some afternoon sun and wind protection and they seem to appreciate it.

  • Sow_what? Southern California Inland
    9 years ago

    Yes, I'm crazy about Alnwick too, and am amazed that it seems completely oblivious to our hot, dry 90's and triple digits. All the new roses were planted in well amended beds, and most have either drip or underground irrigation. Below are a couple of pictures taken today -- not so pretty for my lack of deadheading.

  • Sow_what? Southern California Inland
    9 years ago

    Alnwick's coloration is an intensely saturated powder pink, if that makes any sense -- a gorgeous color that I haven't been able to capture by camera. The photo above is truer to color than the one below, and both were taken today, during our miserable heat. The blooms below aren't fried; I just haven't gotten around to deadheading forever.

  • Sow_what? Southern California Inland
    9 years ago

    And yes, Claire Austin seems to be oblivious to the heat as well. This climber that I've pillared to a 4 x 4 was a bit slow to get going, but once it started blooming, it's gone like gangbusters, and has never been without blooms. In fact it seems to favor blooming over growing, so it's a little thing that typically carries a couple dozen roses. It's planted in a completely amended bed with underground irrigation.

  • Sow_what? Southern California Inland
    9 years ago

    And as with Alnwick, the blooms above are not fried -- that's simply my laziness in deadheading. Below is a prettier picture from a week or so ago.

    I haven't had any of these roses very long, so the information I'm sharing is based on little experience.

    jannike

  • boncrow66
    9 years ago

    Everyone's pics if their Austin's are so pretty! I bought all of my Austin's from Chamblees and took their advice on what grows best in my climate ad so far all mine are thriving. That would be my advice is to find out what does best in your zone.

  • noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    So many good thoughts and recommendations! Thanks so much, everyone.

    I just planted Falstaff and Alnwick Castle, so we will see how they do next year. Now I really want Bishop's Castle which I have been eyeing for some time. Glamis Castle, Jaqueline du Pre, and Claire rose look good too! Too bad about Abe Darby. I just planted it, so I will just have to see, and remove it if it doesn't perform well in the next few years.

    It's funny that I would really like to try other roses than Austins, but there are few others that repeat, have good bush form (not stiff like a hybrid tea) and have flower form and scent.

  • boncrow66
    9 years ago

    I have Souvenir DA la malmaisson that I planted this year. It is becoming one of my favorites. It always has blooms and is doing well in the heat with minimal BS at the beginning of summer and none at all now.

  • SylviaWW 9a Hot dry SoCal
    9 years ago

    Tamora,which is almost identical to Evelyn as far as I can tell, blooms and blooms, facing west against a light-colored stucco wall, despite temps in the 90s.
    Alnwick Rose blooms freely, but the flowers shatter almost immediately in hot weather.
    In descending order of heat tolerance:
    Queen of Sweden
    Darcey Bussell
    Carding Mill
    Molineux
    Munstead Wood