Roseraie de l'Hay is a rugosa, and rugosas in general are not happy in alkaline soils (much of the arid west), with salts in the irrigation water, or with lack of winter chill. I think you can expect it to be cholorotic. The same is true of Reine des Violettes - chlorotic in many western soils. Rose du Roi did not even survive in my garden and grew backwards. I am in the Bay Area (near San Jose), so zone 9 rather than 10, but it should be even more true for you than it was for me.

I'm trying to remember what purple rose (or roses) Jeri Jennings used to recommend for southern California. Perhaps someone else can chime in.

Rosefolly

Thanks, rosefolly (and what a great screen name!)
So 2 out of my 3 are nixed.
It doesn't have to be an old rose, but I'd prefer that, to balance all those Austins. A hybrid tea would look stiff and awkward in that location, and floribundas are too small/short.
I like a lot of the HPs, like Souvenir du Docteur Jamain, but I need wide, not high.
Still searching,
Sylvia

A whole bunch of "mauve/mauve blend" ones listed as being grown in San Marino.

Here is a link that might be useful: Huntington Rose Bed Inventory by Color

This post was edited by bboy on Sat, Mar 22, 14 at 23:52

International Herald Tribune is one purple rose that Jeri Jennings always used to recommend. Jeri's post with photo is near the top of this thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jeri's International Herald Tribune

International Herald Tribune would be lovely. Unfortunately I had mine in all-day sun which it did not like in my heat trap of a garden. I recently bought Reine des Violettes and it will take a while to find out how it fares. I have the Austin Wild Edric (which is really a rugosa) and the leaves are a bright green in my alkaline soil. The flower is purplish and very fragrant. It certainly doesn't look like an Austin. Mr. Bluebird is also very nice, one of my favorite singles. It's basically a china x china cross. Angel Face would probably do well although it's not an old rose. Cardinal Hume might also be a rose to investigate.

Ingrid

I'm not in your area, though I do live in California where I've gardened for the last 30 years.
I live in the San Francisco East Bay area, where summer temps are c. 10 degrees warmer than in the city of San Francisco, and we receive 3-4 months of annual continual drought. Summers here have temps more often in the 80's F. than 90's F.

I've only grown one purple rose that I've been happy with, because it blooms more purple than red, the growth habit is lovely, wider than tall and slightly arching:
Forestville Purple Pom-Pom.
It thrives where 'Reine des Violettes' did not.
I was pleasantly surprised when it bloomed so early, near where Glendora has not even formed tiny rosebuds yet .

Forestvillle Purple Pom-Pom' has a lovely fragrance. and it bloomed fully in mid-March even though it had outgrown its pot and was root bound.
I planted it near the front of a rosebed where it has lots of room to spread, and where it receives some filtered shade in the afternoon to keep it from crisping.

I really love this rose!!!

Thank you to Jeri Jennings who sang its praises to me after I complained that Belle Sultane blooms more red than mauve in my garden.

Lux

Thanks, SVF4Life. My name came from a former GW member Luanne, aka LA, who suggested it. I treasure it as a wonderful gift.

I think one rose that Jeri recommends might well be Forest Ranch Pom-Pom, although it did not do well for me here. Sometimes they sell it at the Sacramento cemetery rose garden in April. I don't know if there are any commercial vendors or not. However I think it does well in most of California.

Folly

Wow,thanks everyone for all of your helpful suggestions!
Forest Ranch Pom Pom looks like a winner, but where can I get one? HMF only shows Vintage, which I understand is out of business.
If I can't get FRPP, I'll probably go with Intl Herald Tribune. I don't have any single roses right now, so I think that might be a good choice.
Sylvia