Unfortunately, I don't have much to add, AND I'm further north than you are, but I do have the China 'Napoleon' here. It came as a band last year, and has not yet been planted. While I'm not sure if it will grow huge here, just in case it does I'm putting it on the side of the house where it has the room to be a big stand-alone shrub if it wants, but will also look OK if it stays smaller.

I can't recall if its petals quilled, which in any case may happen only in hot climates. I also don't recall much scent on mine, but then again, I didn't let it flower more than once (I was pushing for growth first). Mine came from Vintage Gardens.

:-)

~Christopher

Hi Christopher- actually, the info you posted was helpful. I checked out VG website because you said that you had purchased yours there. Well, Napoleon is a China, and I doubt very seriously that my monster rose is a China. The canes are heavy, not twiggy. The flower doesn't look like the VG picture, either. Oh, well, ID'ing a pink OGR isn't the easiest thing to do.

thanks for your reply, and may Spring come your way very soon!

Avalon

I have Napoleon. It is one of the worst roses I've ever grown. Has maybe 3 small flushes a year. Flowers are only lightly to moderately fragrant. Perpetually covered in some of the worst mildew I've ever seen on a rose. Very twiggy, awkward growth habit, spreading but not tall. Needs A LOT of water and food. And thus is far from drought tolerant. Very unsuited to the dry conditions in my garden. I've tried for some time to give it away, with no takers. In a huge pot (20 or 25 gallons) so it would take some effort to move. I may just give in to the inevitable and throw it in the trash.

Melissa

In Florida, it's a great rose. No disease problems at all, and grows with complete neglect. It looks much like a "better" 'Old Blush'.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photos of Napoleon

What Dr. Manners said. Wonderful rose here in Florida.

What Dr. Manners said. Wonderful rose here in Florida.

Avalon, if yours grows very quickly and gets large I wonder if you might have Le Vesuve. Does it have small but vicious thorns? My LV certainly does and it's rather impenetrable, making it difficult to get in the middle to prune out dead wood.

Ingrid

It's very good here in Italy, too, doesn't need any particular attention, and takes our summer drought just fine. Different roses for different gardens once again.
Melissa in Italy

I just wanted to add that Napoleon is beautiful and easy to grow here in my garden(Northern California).

I have been very pleased with my Napoleon. It is in bloom most of the year and is not particularly thorny. I cannot detect much fragrance, but that's acceptable in a free-blooming, disease-free rose.
Molly

I only wish mine looked like the one in Malcolm's picture. Many of the pictures I saw before I bought it were lovely. But the old saying of location, location, location makes a big difference. Mine came from Antique Rose Emporium via Eurodesert. Below is a link to another thread where I posted a picture of my plant, scroll down to see it.

Melissa

Here is a link that might be useful: Napoleon

You are right, location, location. Even within my garden it changes.

Thanks for all of your replies.
Melissa- Your Napoleon needs water & food all the time? Well, if that is typical for Napoleon, then that is definitely NOT the ID of my rose. I don't dare fertilize that thing- it would eat my yard! No disease on it, either. Could just be difference in location, I guess.

Question for Dr. Manners: Does Napoleon quill when the sun hits it? Also, how would you describe the scent? The pictures at the link don't look exactly like my rose, but close.

Molly- Regarding the fragrance of Napoleon-my rose is "double-scented". The petals have a distinct fruity scent, while the back of the flower has a strong spicey rose scent. I just love the way my hands are scented after I deadhead it!

Ingrid- my rose has a very fan-like open growth habit and almost never gets deadwood. It wants to grow very quickly and tall- parts of it are 10 feet up, and would be taller except for pruning.The thorns are medium-large and have never really grabbed me the way some thorns on my other roses do. The pictures of LeVesuve flower don't match the ones on my rose.

Avalon, Unfortunately, we don't have any flowers just now, since we've done our spring pruning. But I don't recall strong quilling of petals. Maybe a bit at the back. And I'm sorry but I don't recall the scent. Will have to observe those things when we're back in bloom in 2-3 weeks.

I presume ours is "typical" 'Napoleon'; we got it as a "found" rose from a plant that had grown here in Lakeland for more than 70 years, on its own roots, with no care at all, at an old local dairy. Joyce Demits identified it as 'Napoleon' back in the 1980s, and since then, numerous other OGR experts have agreed with that ID. So we assume it is right.

Dr. Manners- thank you very much for your reply. I will repost the questions about Napoleon when yours is in bloom again!