From the far away picture, it looks as if it might be a banksia - I would guess the white one. Do you remember if the flowers were clusters of very small blooms? If you could post a close up picture of the leaves and prickles (thorns), we might be able to tell you what rose it is - my guess could very well be wrong. If it is a banksia it is a Chinese rose which may be thousands of years old. They bloom for a long period in the Spring. They love warm climates, so should love where you are.

If you can wait until next Spring and then post close up pictures of the blooms, that would be even better. Once we figure out what kind of rose it is, someone can give you good pruning advice. If it was mine, I would tie some of those long canes horizontally along the fence, and I would NOT try to prune it hard into some sort of bush shape - it looks as if it wants to be a climber to me. Climbers can happily grow along fences.

Personally, I think every rose should be given a chance, and I would at least leave it long enough to find out who it is. However, it is your yard, and of course you should do whatever you want to.

More pictures please!

Here is a close up pic of bloom clusters on my banksia, which is the yellow one:

They make good casual hedge, fence covering, trellised rose and other screening uses, with the advantage of being nearly thornless and with that flamboyant once a year explosion of blooms.

If you were to give it a larger trellis along the fence and prune the bits coming toward the lawn, it would become a vine, almost.

You can prune them any time of the year, so if there are branches getting in your way, cut them back. They don't need much to keep them happy ... being left to make a huge green blob in the background of a landscape suits them.

Here's ours that is left untended, getting water from the neighbor's over-watered lawn, rarely pruned. The large green thing to the left of the oleander is it. The straight line marks the top of the 6ft fence. It's green and gives privacy and once a year it's a giant puffball of yellow blossoms. It's also host to herds of quail - they sleep deep in the center of the bush and have even nested in the lower branches,

Jackie

The yellow, bottom left, is "Yellow Lady Banks" -- R. banksia lutea. Blooms are a maybe nickle-sized. In clusters. No fragrance.

The white, bottom right, is "White Lady Banks" -- R. banksia banksia. Blooms are maybe nickle-sized. In clusters. Strong violet fragrance. Really. Like violets. Wonderful.

The white, top-center, is 'Fortuniana.' Blooms are maybe the size of a quarter, or slightly more. In clusters. STRONG violet fragrance. Up close, it's really a wow.

You don't say where you are. If you're in Southern California, I'd guess you have R. banksia banksia. OTOH, if you're in Florida (where Fortuniana is still a common rootstock) I'd bet you have Fort.

Also, even in CA, Monrovia nursery has sold probably MILLIONS of plants of Fortuniana, either as "White Lady Banks," OR as "Snowflake."

Why would they do something that silly? God knows!

All (IMHO) are great, GREAT roses. All are spring-blooming. If you cut them back, now, you won't get much bloom next year. You could cut out the dead stuff, tie it up, and prune it early next spring, after it blooms.

Where I am, at the SoCal coast -- most years these roses will scatter a bit of bloom through the year -- but that is uncommon.

Btw - I suspect that this rose is at least 12+ years old. The previous owners of the home did not care well for the plants the last 10 years, but I've heard the owners prior to that were very active caretakers of their plants.

I'd bet on Fortuniana, I think, but I've never seen it mildew. Maybe, though, if it is short of water.

I'm trying to think where you could see one, and the only place I know for sure is the old hilltop cemetery in San Juan Bautista. There are two Fortunianas, there.

I think, if the blooms are that large, it can't be Lady Banks, but maybe Fort.

Other thoughts?

I'd still clean out dead stuff, and tie it up. Increase water, if you can do that. When it blooms next spring, you can get good images of blooms, and we can do better.

I'd go out and look at my Fortuniana, but the base of it is at the very bottom of the hill, and it's so warm/humid here, it feels like a sauna.

Ingrid

1. Any tips or suggested reading material for pruning this rose? There are some 1-1.5 inch stems/canes in there and I want to get it right. I'm not experienced pruning roses.

2. Any idea what the white/splotchyness is on the leaves and how to treat it? Example here below:

Just remember, when reading up on pruning, that your rose here is ONCE BLOOMING.

You would not prune it after winter, as you would a rose that repeats its bloom.

Prune it, instead, right after it finishes its spring bloom, so that it can put out new growth, which will mature in time for NEXT year's bloom.

Of course, anything that's dead, or dumb 1.5-inch stubs or blind growths, you can remove at any time. I also remove stuff that is growing into where I need to walk.

(JERI)

ALL you should cut off for the present is anything that is dead. The rest, tie it up to the fence, and get it out of your way.

If it grows where you have to walk, pull it out of the way. If there is no choice, cut it. This is not meant to be a small, demure plant. It is meant to cover some ground, and make a big show.

Next year, AFTER it blooms, you can prune it, but don't plan to prune off one third, or one quarter, or one half. Perhaps, you will want to espalier it along your fence, to make a huge show of bloom and fragrance.