I once read a posting wherein Luanne described her method for treating MAC as a shrub.

I have one planted at the base of a dead Japanese maple tree and am hoping to get her to grow through the dead branches. It's only about 12 feet tall, so I sometimes shake my head and wonder what I was thinking when I thought it would be a good idea. My only hope is to try to keep it cut more as a shrub.

All that to say, I have no advice and am interested in any answers too.

In my opinion, trying to restrain Alfred is impossible. I have it planted on my fence in a "too small area", and even with pruning, it just goes berserk! So, I plan to move it to a space where it can do his thing, which is in the middle of my 40' wide flowerbed. I love this rose!

Are you aware of others in your zone who are having success growing MAC?

windeaux--others in my zone grow only Double Knock Outs, so no help there in figuring out what does or doesn't grow here. LOL

Good question, however. I grow a number of roses that HMF lists as Zone 7, so I'm guessing my zone is actually closer to 7 even though it is officially listed as 6. (I'm from southern Kansas--30 miles from the Oklahoma border.) Anyone else have experience growing MAC in Zones 6-7? How did it work?

Let's see--so far on height we have one MAC that is having trouble reaching 12 ft and another MAC that has gone berserk and won't stop growing. Hmmmm--this isn't getting us to a solution for my pillar, is it! LOL

Kate

I planted Mme Alfred Carriere in spring 2010, it's just over a year old.

It came through winter very well.

It's hard to be sure how tall it will grow here, I'm guessing 5 feet at maturity, so it's more like a sprawling shrub than a climber, in this cold zone.

Have you considered Cl Iceberg? Even in my warm climate, it is MUCH easier to control than MAC. Don't get me wrong - I love MAC. We have three. One was planted to climb up a plum tree, did that, and also jumped over to the tops of 3 other trees. Got to the top of its original tree, and sent long canes from the top down to the base again, covering another huge (20 ft by 20 ft) shrub in the process.

Another was planted to grow up the side of our garage. Did that, and also went another 20 feet up a pine tree next to the garage, from whence it is contemplating eating the neighbor's deck.

The third one was planted (in a large pot this time!) at the base of another plum tree next to the other side of the garage. It went up the tree 20 feet, and is also now trying to cover the entire roof of the garage.

I love them because they bloom for 10 months here, and get no care from me at all, except food once a year and some water during our normal 6 month summer drought.

I would not ever try to "control" this rose -

Jackie

It is possible. In zone 7, there is some dieback in the winter, so the results will not be the same as CA. There will be some pruning to keep her in bounds. And early training necessary, as once the major canes harden, they do not reposition well. But the relatively thornless habit make MAC easier to work with than some.
Pictured are my two MAC, both growing on 4x4 supports.

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After five or six years, I finally gave up trying to restrain the Mme. She is much too exuberant and willful. She has gone to the great landfill in the sky.

I don't think a chainsaw and Napalm could confine her to a space she felt too restricting. Kim

I guess we can conclude that if I ever move to California, I better make sure I leave lots of room for MAC! Wow--a rose of legendary proportions!

However, I can assure you that such "exuberant" growth is truly rare in the midwest--for all sorts of roses. As krista and greybird suggest, our winters supply an automatic natural check on the Jolly Green giants!

I'm still not sure which direction to go. Several sources I researched listed MAC as hardy to Zone 6, but we aren't really hearing from many MAC growers in that zone, so it is hard to say.

Thought about Iceberg, but that is another rose that does nothing to my heart--no pitty pat pat in response. But maybe it would be a more practical choice.

Just don't know. I really had a vision of a white rose growing through the dark violet clematis already established and thriving on that pillar. White and dark purple--sounded so dramatic.

Kate

Kate, there is a shopping center here in Encino which has a bougainvillea Purple Queen in their parking lot with a huge bush of Iceberg growing up through it. Yes, purple and white are dramatic together! Kim