You've just bought the house -- have you seen this rose bloom?

Jeri

It is a shrub rose, not the more familiar hybrid tea or florist-type rose. It is supposed to be a big plant. Unlike hybrid teas, it appears to be naturally healthy or resistant to fungus disease. It might be a once-bloomer (June). Repeat=blooming roses would tend to have flower buds this time of year.

Are there any flower buds, or hips (fruit)? Give us a sharp closeup showing foliage, stems and hips if any. The worst case would be wild multiflora rose, which is not worth yard room.

I will get a closer pic this afternoon there are some dead roses almost like it bloomed recently before I moved in Aug 11th
Thanks
Tara

Here are the leaves

Here is the underneath of the bush

Dead bloom

Regardless whether you cut this shrub back or not, it is always a good idea to keep the underside of the plant clean of debris so that no insects or disease can attack.
Once you get a good look at the base of the plant you can get a better view of how it is growing there.

Shrub roses always can stand a good pruning in spring--you may lose some flowering, but the plant is more likely to be able to support the new growth that comes.

Put your rose on a fertilizing, spraying, cultivating program and I'm sure you'll see some great improvement.

This is likely to be a once-blooming rose of some sort. Those are pruned *very differently* from HTs. While dead, diseased, and crossing wood can be pruned out, it is better to leave everything else until you get a much better idea of how the rose behaves.

Fertilizing is best done as a once a year application of organic fertilizer in the spring. Spraying isn't necessary from the looks of things.

It does not look like multiflora or Dr. Huey rootstock, that's good. It probably is a June-bloomer, and these can be very rewarding in northern gardens. It seems to be an easy-care, disease-resistant, and winter-hardy rose for you. I don't think it needs trellising. The natural shrub habit is attractive and helps to cover a utility area.

I would not do any pruning now unless to remove canes that look unhealthy or are n the way. It can be pruned after blooming next summer, or in spring before leaf-out (when you can see better). I would remove some (1/4) of the canes at the base, the oldest canes, to encourage new growth from the base. You can also clean up the structure by removing spindly shoots and canes that cross and rub. It would be fine to take mad_gallica's advice not to prune until you know more about the plant.

Post sharp pictures of buds, blooms, and shoots next June.

The yellowing of young leaves behind greener veins could indicate iron deficiency caused by high (alkaline) pH. You could check the pH. Treatment could be 1/2 cup sulfur per square yard. It takes months to work.

Since it bloomed in August, I would lean towards thinking it's a repeat bloomer.

I would remove any weeds around the base of the plant. If the soil is compact, a light raking of the soil can be helpful.

It's a nice looking shrub. I would evaluate it in spring to see if it has any dieback and prune lightly.

Where it's close to the air conditioner, I would prune it back away from that so the canes are not so close to the unit.