Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
molineux_gw

Tell me about White Cap

Molineux
15 years ago

I've read some positive posts about this beautiful climber. It is supposed to have superior black spot resistance, old garden rose flower form, good repeat and winter hardiness. Sounds just about perfect. But I already have Sombreuil, which is a sentimental favorite as it was one of the last roses I got from Uncommon Roses. The rub is that Sombreuil has some vicious thorns. I'm growing it as a big arching shrub and every time Rob goes by with the lawn mower he gets mauled. The man is fed up with that rose so I'm thinking of replacing it with something a little less vicious. I'm also interested in Climbing Kaiserin August Viktoria.

So what are the thorns like on WHITE CAP? Light, moderate or killer evil.

P.S.: pics of the blooms and plant are extremely welcome.

Thanks,

Patrick

Comments (10)

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    15 years ago

    I like Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria a lot, wonderful fragrance. It has a lot of the look of the grand parent 'Devoniensis' in it. Lots of Tea in the ancestry.

    Probably 'White Cap' would do better for you. Here KAV has no problem with disease, but you have a vastly higher disease pressure there.

    KAV:
    {{gwi:323404}}
    KAV:
    {{gwi:300720}}

  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    15 years ago

    White Cap is a wichurana climber, like Sombreuil and New Dawn. Let's just say that if moving down on the thorn scale is the goal, this isn't the place to start.

    Don't even bother with Cl. KAV unless you can reliably overwinter HTs to the tips, because that's what you are going to have to do.

    Don't suppose we can talk you into Mme. Plantier. It's white, it gets big, it doesn't demand blood sacrifices, it's smelly....

  • celeste/NH
    15 years ago

    Hi Patrick,
    First with the bad news....White Cap has thorns, and very sharp ones at that. Not the worst thorns I've encountered, but along the lines of New Dawn. Now that
    aside, this is a beautiful rose. Mine blooms profusely
    and all summer-long. Here in zone 4 it doesn't have
    any disease issues, save for some minor blackspot at the very end of summer when I've gotten lazy & not sprayed.
    I do lose some length of cane due to zone 4 winters but
    it rebounds quickly.

    Celeste

    WHITE CAP

    {{gwi:323405}}

    {{gwi:236394}}

  • olga_6b
    15 years ago

    White Cap does get some BS, I would same comparable to New Dawn in resistance. Still much better in resistance to BS here then any other FRGRANT white climber I tried in the past. Much more resistant then Sombreuill, Mme Alfred Carier, Prosperity, Devoniensis or even Mme Plantier or Mme Legras de St Germain. Strangely Mme Plantier never was really resistant in my garden.
    Olga

  • rjlinva
    15 years ago

    I have praised this rose many times. It's my favorite white rose...It makes me happy always.

    R

  • dublinbay z6 (KS)
    15 years ago

    I'm looking closely at this one also, Patrick. Could a couple more of her fans from other regions comment on her disease-resistance?

    Thanks,
    Kate

  • cweathersby
    15 years ago

    My White Cap is new. Purchased in summer of 07, planted in spring of 08.
    BS resistance is awesome, but I've said that before about new roses only to see the resistance decline as they spend more time in my BS ridden garden.
    This is the only climber I've ever planted that bloomed profusely the first year in the ground. It has bloomed and bloomed and bloomed. Quicker repeat than my non-climbers, which is saying something. The blooms are beautiful, even in the middle of the summer when most roses lose their petal count.
    But it's not very fragrant. It's OK, but nothing I get excited about.
    There ARE thorns. So far they are flexible, and not vicious. But I don't know whether this will change as the canes get older.

  • Molineux
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    The same amount of thorns as NEW DAWN? Oh no-no-no that won't do at all. I shovel pruned 4 AWAKENINGs because of the evil thorns. Those climbers would rip me to shreds every single time I had to prune them. Just getting close was an invitation to reach out and draw blood. I put up with SOMBREUIL's wicked nature because of the beautiful, very fragrant flowers and decent repeat. B-U-T I'd shovel prune her in an instant if I could find a smoother replacement. For what it is worth I would have kept Awakening had the flower fragrance been stronger. Alas, slight fragrance + evil thorns spelled her horrible demise. I literally chopped those monsters into mulch.

    MADAME PLANTIER does not repeat. Enough said.

    Thanks everybody for your posts. Your descriptions made this choice easy.

    Patrick

  • geo_7a
    15 years ago

    perhaps aimee vibert?