Shrub · Rosaceae
David Austin Rose
Rosa
Old-rose looks and scent with modern repeat flowering from late spring right through to frost.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
USDA 4–9
4–10 ft · 1.2–3 m
Overview
David Austin roses, often called English roses, pair the full cupped and rosette flowers and rich perfume of old garden roses with the repeat flowering and wide color range of modern ones. David Austin bred them in England over decades, and the result is a shrub that looks antique but blooms again and again instead of once a year.
These are vigorous deciduous shrubs, mostly between 4 and 10 feet (1.2 to 3 m) tall, with a few that will scramble up a wall or fence as short climbers. Grown in full sun and decent soil, they hold up across a broad range of climates, from USDA zones 4 to 9. The flowers come in flushes from late spring until the first frost, so the show keeps going for months.
They ask for a little more attention than the toughest landscape roses, but the work is steady, not hard. Good airflow, morning watering at the base, and a yearly prune keep the common fungal diseases in check. Give them that and you get months of fragrant bloom from a plant that earns its space in the garden.
Care
The short version: full sun and rich, well-drained soil, a deep base watering once or twice a week in the morning, a balanced feed through the season, and a hard prune in late winter to keep the plant healthy and flowering.
Light
Roses need full sun, ideally 6 or more hours a day, to bloom well and shrug off disease. They take a little partial sun, but shade gives you weak growth, fewer flowers, and far more black spot and mildew.
Water
Water deeply at the base 1 to 2 times a week rather than little and often, so the roots reach down. Always water in the morning and keep it off the leaves, since wet foliage is what lets black spot and powdery mildew take hold.
Soil
Plant in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained loam worked with plenty of compost. A slightly acidic pH of 6.0 to 6.5 suits them, and ground that drains freely keeps the roots from sitting wet.
Temperature
These roses are cold-hardy and heat-tolerant, handling roughly -20°F to 95°F (-29°C to 35°C) across zones 4 to 9. That wide range is part of why English roses do well in so many gardens.
Humidity
Outdoor humidity is whatever your climate gives you, so there's no target to hit. Airflow matters far more, because damp, crowded foliage is exactly what the common fungal diseases need.
Feeding
Feed with a balanced granular rose fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 8-8-8, starting in spring after the first leaves appear. Feed again after each bloom flush, then stop about six weeks before your first frost so you aren't pushing tender new growth into the cold.
Pruning
Prune in late winter to early spring: cut last season's growth back by about a third, take out dead or unhealthy stems, and remove a few of the oldest canes at the base to spark fresh growth. Deadhead spent blooms through the season and the plant keeps flowering.
Repotting
Most English roses live in the ground and are rarely repotted. For one grown in a container, move it up a size when roots circle the pot or push through the drainage holes, water runs straight through, or growth slows.
Size & spacing
Plants reach 4 to 10 feet (1.2 to 3 m) tall and spread 3 to 4 feet (91 to 122 cm) across. Give each shrub that much room so air moves freely through it and disease has a harder time settling in.
When to plant
Roses go in while they're dormant and the soil is workable. Plant in early spring or fall, never into frozen, waterlogged, or drought-dry ground, and the roots settle before the plant has to carry leaves and flowers. From there it blooms in flushes from late spring through frost.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: early spring or fall when soil is workable and not frozen, waterlogged, or in drought
- Harvest: late spring through frost with repeat flushes
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
Most rose trouble shows up on the leaves, and the big three are all easier to head off than to cure. Learn to read the early signs and you can step in before a problem spreads through the plant. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Clusters of red shoots, dense thorns, and warped flowers
Bunched red shoots in a witches-broom, abnormally dense thorns, and deformed buds point to rose rosette disease, a virus carried by tiny eriophyid mites. There is no cure once a plant is infected. Bag the foliage before you dig, then remove and destroy the whole plant, roots included, and clear out any wild multiflora rose nearby that harbors the mites.
Fix:
- Bag the foliage before digging to keep mites from scattering
- Remove and destroy the entire plant including all roots
- Remove nearby wild multiflora roses that host the mites
- Do not compost infected material
Black spots ringed with yellow, and leaves dropping
This is black spot, the most common rose disease, a fungus that spreads when foliage stays wet. It starts low on the plant and climbs, stripping leaves as it goes. Pull off the marked leaves, rake up fallen debris, and water at the base in the morning so the foliage dries fast.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy infected leaves and fallen debris
- Improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering
- Water at the base in the morning so foliage dries quickly
- Apply a labeled fungicide such as chlorothalonil, copper, or myclobutanil on a preventive schedule
White powdery film on leaves and twisted new growth
A dusty white coating on the leaves and shoots means powdery mildew, which takes hold in crowded, shaded, humid spots. The young growth curls and warps as the fungus feeds. Open up the canopy with a good prune, ease off the nitrogen that pushes soft growth, and treat with a labeled fungicide if it keeps spreading.
Fix:
- Prune to open the canopy and improve airflow
- Remove severely affected shoots
- Avoid excess nitrogen that pushes soft growth
- Apply a labeled fungicide such as triforine, propiconazole, or myclobutanil
Toxicity
Good news for households with pets and children: true roses are non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and the petals and hips are even edible. The one real hazard is the thorns, which scratch and puncture, so handle the canes with care and wear gloves when you prune.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats Safe
Roses are non-toxic to cats, so a nibbled leaf or petal won't poison one. The thorns are the real worry, since they can scratch a curious cat or catch a paw.
Dogs Safe
A dog can chew the foliage without any risk of poisoning. Watch the canes instead, because the thorns scratch noses and paws, and a big helping of leaves may bring a passing bout of mild stomach upset.
Horses Safe
Horses graze roses with no toxic effect, and the petals and hips are a harmless treat. Their main job is steering clear of the thorny stems.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can eat rose leaves, petals, and stems safely, and many keepers offer them as forage. The thorns are the only thing to strip off first.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep browse roses without harm. The prickly canes are more of a nuisance than a danger.
Birds Safe
Birds aren't poisoned by roses, and many feed on the hips through autumn and winter. Nothing on the plant needs to be kept away from them.
People Safe
Rose petals and hips are edible and safe to eat, with the hips a long-standing source of vitamin C. The thorns are the only hazard, so wear gloves and long sleeves when you prune.
Wear gloves and long sleeves when pruning or handling; thorns can scratch or puncture skin and pets.
Varieties
David Austin introduced hundreds of English roses over the years. These four are among the best known and show the range of color, form, and scent the group is loved for.
Gertrude Jekyll
A vigorous variety carrying strongly fragrant rich pink rosettes packed with 50 to 80 petals, and it can be grown as a shrub or trained up as a short climber.
Heritage
Introduced by David Austin in 1984, this one bears soft light pink cupped rosettes on stems that stay almost free of thorns.
Abraham Darby
Big cupped blooms shade from apricot pink to peach and give off a strong fruity scent.
Winchester Cathedral
A white-flowered sport of the pink Mary Rose that keeps the same generous repeat-blooming habit.
How to propagate
Roses can be multiplied a few ways, from the budding nurseries rely on to simpler methods that work in a backyard. Which one you reach for depends on how much skill and patience you want to put in.
GraftingDemanding
Summer (June T-budding) onto an established rootstock · One growing season
This is how nearly every rose you buy is made. A grower buds a single dormant bud onto a wild rose rootstock in summer, working in June, and the new plant fills out over the following growing season. Budding is faster and cheaper than other graft methods, but it takes a steady hand, so most home gardeners leave it to the nursery.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Softwood cuttings late spring to mid-summer; hardwood cuttings November through February · Several weeks to a few months to root
Cuttings give you a plant identical to the parent and are well within reach at home. Take softwood cuttings from late spring through midsummer, or hardwood cuttings from November into February, using pieces with one to three nodes. Dip the base in rooting hormone and keep them under intermittent mist, and they root over several weeks to a few months.
LayeringModerate
Spring through summer · One growing season
Layering is the simplest route when a rose has a long, supple cane near the ground. Bend a low cane down in spring or summer and pin it to the soil so it roots while still attached to the parent. After a full growing season it has its own roots and you can cut it free.
Myths
David Austin English roses are antique heirloom roses.
They look the part, but these are modern shrub roses, bred by David Austin from the 1960s on. He crossed the full many-petaled cupped and rosette flowers and rich scent of old garden roses with the repeat flowering and wider color range of modern ones, so you get the antique look without the once-a-year bloom.
Roses are poisonous to cats and dogs.
True roses in the genus Rosa are listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. The real danger is the thorns, which scratch and puncture, not anything in the petals or leaves. Don't confuse them with so-called desert rose or moss rose, unrelated plants that do carry toxins.