Always, one of my major concerns is BS resistance. I've seen a couple references to it having some disease problems. Elsewhere gardeners boast about its disease resistance. So, which is it? Blackspot is my major concern.

Size? I'd really like it to stay about 3.5 ft tall, but I bet it is taller. Could it be regularly pruned back to---let's say, to 4 ft. high--without damaging its blooming cycles?

It will be growing free-standing. Does it have that fountain shape that hybrid musks are famous for?

How is it on re-bloom?

I'm in Zone 6 (Kansas), so I particularly solicit Midwestern gardenrs' comments, but anyone else, feel free to offer any thoughts you have on this rose, based on your own experience.

Thanks.

Kate

I have several Robin Hoods, or at least some Rogue Valley free roses that I've identified as Robin Hood, all growing in part shade under limbed up pine trees. I think the BS resistance for me is quite good. I can't say they're spot free, since a few spots here and there don't bother me, but they keep all their leaves and don't look ratty and nasty like some roses can. Given that they're in part shade, that's a good thing in my world.

As for size, mine seem to want to be about 2 feet tall and about 5 feet wide, but they're only in their second or third year, so I'm not sure about mature height. They definitely seem to want to fountain out, but since they've stayed short under these conditions I'd describe mine more as "sprawling" than "fountaining". It's possible they're reaching for the sun, but they'd have to reach several more feet for actual direct sun in these locations. Mine are free standing, but mixed in with other part-shade plantings, so they mostly droop over and around other plants without smothering them (yet).

Rebloom is probably the biggest sacrifice under these conditions. The picture below is from some Robin Hoods I have in the neighbor's yard in mostly shade, among leaves you can see from Lenten Rose and bleeding heart plants (so you can tell it's shady). This bloom was nice, though you can tell it's a plant you can't deadhead enough to keep the clusters totally clean, but I've only seen scattered bloom since then. I might have had another cycle or so in my yard under the limbed up pine, but not as full as this. That tends to improve with more mature plants, but I don't think I'm going to get robust rebloom under these conditions. Still, it's more color than I tend to get in a shade garden, particularly from roses.

And the foliage is mostly that clean still, if a little scrawnier in the heat of July and early August.

Hope this helps

Cynthia

Kate

Thanks for the compliments! I can certainly vouch that the hybrid musks can do well in our region under the conditions you describe, some better than others. Other HMs that rebloom for me better under those conditions would be Heavenly Pink (but it's a much lighter pink), Wilhelm (dark pink/crimson, but stiffer and not a fountain), and maybe Ghislaine de Feligonde (mostly white, but it fountains). If you want that medium pink in a rose that reblooms and fountains pretty well for me, you might consider Gartendirektor Otto Linne. It's technically a shrub, but it grows like a hybrid musk and likes the shade just fine. Very hardy and flexible canes too.

Have fun, and you know you'll have to show us photos when you eventually decide!

Cynthia

Kate