I grew Secret in the Santa Clarita Valley, CA, zone 9b to 10a. The plant, budded on Huey, was fine. The flowers, being wonderfully fragrant, which VERY often means very easily fried by extreme heat and sun, burned badly when it was extremely hot and sunny. I currently grow Secret's Out, the white sport of Secret, also on Huey, in Encino, CA, zone 10a. In this EXTREMELY well drained soil, it requires more water than several others next to it to remain looking good, but it grows well, the foliage is clean and plentiful and it flowers heavily. Like its sport parent, the flowers are intensely scented and subject to high heat damage. So, if you want the rose and can live with heat damaged blooms when conditions are extreme, go for it. They're beautiful, wonderfully formed, heavily scented, appear regularly and on nearly prickle free stems. They cut excellently and stink up the house very well.

You have to wonder why the rater chose to give it that rating. Was it due to the plant not surviving in high heat for them? Was it because the flowers didn't look florist refrigerator fresh in high heat? Was it because of an over heated potted plant? Was it due to a newly planted bare root which didn't have sufficient roots under it? You'll never know until you try it in your conditions. I hope it helps. Kim

The flowers are a lot smaller in the summer heat. Perhaps that was the problem. I get the best flowers spring and fall, but mine doesn't shut down in the summer, thought I'm close enough to the coast to be fairly mild all summer.

I just left the Huntington Library and Gardens about 5 minutes ago and their shrubs of Secret looked quite good. It was definitely a warm day and the blooms weren't quite as large as I expected, but it was a good looking rose.

Jay

I just left the Huntington Library and Gardens about 5 minutes ago and their shrubs of Secret looked quite good. It was definitely a warm day and the blooms weren't quite as large as I expected, but it was a good looking rose.

Jay

In a word NO. Secret is a wonderful rose, but it will reach optimum performance in a cooler climate then mine where 100 degree summer days are not out of the norm (102-103 lately). It always bloomed the best for me in Fall. Then, if the bugs left it alone, there was vase full after vase full of beautiful, fragrant blooms. If you grow it in a warm climate, it's not that it won't survive the summer, but that the blooms will be inferior during the heat....Maryl

Thanks for the feedback. I will take it off my list, if I had more room I might have tried it.

Exactly my position thahalibut. I had a spot become available this year that I thought about putting another Secret in (my first was lost to RRD after many years of growing here). But like you don't have the space for one season wonders. Such a shame because it is a nice rose. I hear Moonstone is a good choice for hot summers if you care to look it up on HMF. I don't grow it, but have seen it at the rose shows many many times and it is remarkably beautiful.........Maryl

Secret is fine in the heat. It is in the middle 90's here in Central Illinois and I just cut a Secret off my bush.

Maryl, I have Moonstone & it holds up very well in the heat & can be very beautiful.