That rose in the picture does not look like Grande Dame. Grande Dame is pink and looks more like an English rose than an HT. That said, there is no pink rose I know of that produces more big heavily fragrant blooms than Grande Dame. It is a massive blooming machine. Its' shortcoming is that it has weak necks so it will droop if it gets wet

Henryinct, sorry, this is a bad picture. It's still opening up. Under this lighting it looks red, and my camera didn't pick it up.
It is pink but very deep pink. And you are right about the neck, one of them was dropping down.

I'm wondering, too, if that is really Grand Dame. Grand Dame does have the most wonderful old rose fragrance, but mine doesn't look at all like yours. Maybe it is just the camera lighting, but I'm posting a couple of pictures of mine below so you can compare to yours once fully open and be sure your rose wasn't mislabeled. I have a lot of really fragrant roses, but Grand Dame is one of the best with it's "wafting" scent. None of my other roses smell quite like Grand Dame, but to me, the most similar scented roses I grow are Big Momma, Peter Mayle, Dolly Parton, Firefighter and Rose de Rescht. It's been a long time since I grew Chrysler Imperial, but it's blooms have one of my favorite rose scents, and its fragrance seems similar to Grand Dame to my nose.

My Grand Dame blooms:

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Bush shot:

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That really looks like a mislabel to me too. This rose is pink. It blooms at the top of very long canes, so the fragrance is mostly wasted on me. Put is somewhere in back where you can reach it just for cutting.

Pootpoot, your rose looks a lot more like Mr. Lincoln than Grande Dame. ML is also known for it's fragrance.

Pat, your GD is gorgeous!

Thanks, Seil! (you'll be seeing her again when we get to the "G's" in the gallery...lol)
I can't believe I forgot to mention Mr. Lincoln with the similar fragrance roses. He definitely has that strong old rose scent. If you do have Mr. Lincoln instead of Grand Dame, he'll be a tall one for back of the border, too. He starts off red, but ages to more of a wine color.

Ok this is what the bloom looked like today. I don't think it's a Mr. Lincoln. The color is hard to capture, but my blooms are magenta, or a very deep pink. I hope my roses look like yours someday Pat.

Your latest pic is closer to my Grand DameâÂÂs color, but still looks like it has more of a red tone than mineâ¦could be the camera lighting again, though. The pics I posted are pretty true to its color in my garden. They were taken in hot weatherâ¦the blooms are a bit darker pink when itâÂÂs cool, but not much. Will be easier to tell once the bloom is fully open and you can see the flower form.

That still doesn't look much like Grand Dame to me. I am used to seeing more petals in GD.

It honestly does look like Grande Dame to me. I sure love mine. I agree that Chrysler Imperial smells similar as does Big Purple to my nose.

When I went to the nursery, all the Gd's were magenta in color. Is it possible that they mislabeled all? Maybe it's the climate because my Double Delight changes color too, ranging from the red and cream you usually see, or this

(sorry I don't know how to rotate)

I was just wondering if anybody grows GRANDE DAME on her own roots? Hybrid Teas are notorious weaklings in this regard.

I bought two GD recently and am happy to hear about the wafting fragrance since my hot and dry garden is a little short in the fragrance department.

What does worry me a bit is the statement that the blooms are all on the top of a tall rose. Does this detract from the impact of the rose as being an ornament in the garden? I have an informal country garden with mostly old roses or roses that have that appearance. I really like roses that appear bushy, with old-fashioned charm. Will my two GD stick out like sore thumbs? I'm not sure that I've ever seen a picture of the whole bush, and I wonder if that's because the lower part of the rose is somewhat unsightly. I was actually contemplating buying a few more GD since I lost nine roses to canker disease, but now I'm wondering if that's such a good idea.

Ingrid

Ingrid,
I have a partial bush shot from last year posted earlier in this thread, and here's the closest to a full bush shot I have from this year...a really bad picture, but you can see the spent petals on the ground below the bush. The picture is from June, so the rose grew much larger by end of season, but I was getting blooms at varying heights late in the year, too. The blooms are at the end of the canes...I don't normally have blooms close to the ground on this rose...between arching canes, new canes being produced throughout the year and hard pruning to different heights when deadheading, I do usually have blooms on the top 2/3 of the bush, though.

I found a full bush shot from September of 2013. I tie support around mine about 2 to 3 feet up early in the season. You can see at the bottom of the picture where some of the new canes grew outside of the support and weren't yet strong enough to hold up all their blooms...pretty much lying on the ground. I usually have some of those canes every year and tie them back into the bush (for blooms at a shorter height)...I obviously just left these hanging there :)

pat, thanks so much for these latest pictures and your comments. I remember now from another thread that you mentioned tying the roses in, and that's something I'll definitely keep in mind. Pruning and deadheading the roses at different heights are excellent ideas that I'll be sure to remember.

This seems like a somewhat unwieldy rose that to my eyes is not in the front rank of the most beautiful roses, at least as much as I can ascertain from pictures, but for me the selling points are resistance to disease and a willingness to bloom even in the heat. I'm very much looking forward to seeing this rose bloom for the first time this year.

Ingrid

Hey Ingridâ¦itâÂÂs me again :) Grand Dame is a very dense, well branched, bushy thingâ¦and yes can be quite unwieldy by end of season. It is more upright than rounded, so not as pretty in form as a mannerly rounded rose⦠but not one of those popsicle stick roses throwing sparse, long canes with a single bloom at the end, either. I posted an embarrassing picture yesterday where I hadnâÂÂt taken the time to tie up flopping branches, so why not post an embarrassing picture today where itâÂÂs almost February, and I havenâÂÂt taken the time to remove the garden ties I used for support last spring, which are now hanging and sagging haphazardly around it. In my defense, I live on a farm in the middle of nowhere, so basically no one sees or cares what it looks like other than me. ItâÂÂs almost pruning time here, so IâÂÂll get it cleaned up soon :) With that said, here are a couple of pictures I took for you this morning of my winter naked Grand Dame, so you can see its âÂÂbonesâÂÂ. It's currently standing about a foot taller than me (I'm 5'6"). Of course, any dead stuff will be removed, but I also do some thinning out, take out some of the older canes at the base, and prune down height by about half each February. Maybe this helps with MolineuxâÂÂs question, tooâ¦mine is on Dr. Huey, but as vigorous as it is grafted, surely some of that oomph would carry over own root?

Full Bush:

{{gwi:2120455}}

Dense middle

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Base:

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Wow! That's one dense rose.
MIne is in a pot in the garage right now. It was a first year rose this summer. Hopefully mine won't get that large. But then, we don't have as much heat here.
Looks like a great plant!!
Carol

Pat, nothing embarrassing about your pictures- I don't think any of us here are models of perfection when it comes to gardening. In fact, I think a perfect garden would intimidate the heck out of me.

No, she's certainly not a popsicle plant. I don't know when I've seen that many canes on one rose. I so appreciate your help in dealing with this rose. I have two, and they're in the front garden so any tips on dealing with this large lady are so appreciated. I begin to see why Tom Carruth named her GRANDE Dame! With the dry, reflecting heat here I don't expect mine to get as large as yours, and that's fine with me.

Ingrid

Pat, I enjoyed your winter photo of Grand Dame - I like seeing the "bones" of roses, helps to see how they will grow. This bush is gorgeous! What fun it will be to see it start leafing out then forming buds! I have one coming from Palatine, so most interested in this thread. I am from Texas where it is really hot in the summer - would you suggest giving this rose afternoon shade, or is it tough enough to stand the sun? I mulch and water faithfully.
Judith

I find it to be a strong grower own root.

I find it to be a strong grower own root.

Hi Carol,
We do have more heat and a longer growing season...I usually have blooms until around mid November. Most roses will get too tall to stay potted for long here, but most don't ever get as dense as Grand Dame has.
Ingrid, I'm really hoping Grand Dame performs well for you, and you end up loving her...keep us posted.
Judith, Mine is in full sun all day and has no trouble handling it...blooms are long lasting and don't crisp. You're probably hotter than me, though. We hover in the mid to upper 90's for long stretches, and usually do have some low triple digits...but triple digits don't normally last for extended periods

edited to correct at least some of the bad spelling & grammar...I must still be half asleep...lol

This post was edited by pat_bamaZ7 on Thu, Jan 29, 15 at 10:36

Today I saw our garden center has their newest tree roses in stock, one of which is Grand Dame. I was thinking about getting one for my tree rose collection, because I love the scent of them---until I read here they bloom on long stems. That is the case with my Hot Cocoa tree rose, which grows up to my house eaves every year--a real "tree" rose, haha. Some roses just aren't good candidates for tree form.

Those of you who are growing Grand Dame---do you think it is "too much rose" for a tree rose form?

Pat- your Grand Dame is amazing. I'm glad you posted a pic of the base.

I just came back from a rose garden here in Portland Oregon and I was attracted to the Grande Dame. It is deep pink color almost like fuschia color. Very rosy fragrant and I was even planning to buy some but with comments here that it droops because of weaker neck I think I have to change my mind. I did not notice it drooping in the garden though. Thanks for the ideas..

Carol,

Your Grande Dame is absolutely beautiful, looks like a big bouquet. Just one question...why did Grande Dame get the ugly black generic pot, while all the non-blooming roses are dressed up in fancy planters? A bit like Cinderella and the evil stepsisters, don't you think?!

BenT - Yup, all she needs now is a carriage and some fancy shoes! LOL

I actually like the black pot the best...it's the biggest pot I have, and I love black. :)

Carol

GD is lucious! How is the cold hardniess. Anyone grow it in the NJ/NY/PA in the ground?

Some the roses on my newer G.D. were droopy. I believe the blooms for the first Spring flush outweighed the plant's ability to hold blooms in some areas. I think as the Bush/stems become stronger, droop will be less of an issue. I only noticed the droop on thinner canes trying to support multiple blooms, and not on the thicker canes.

These blooms have droop, but the flush on this newer, grafted plant was so spectacular and fragrant enough to stop my DH in his tracks, I did not mind.

Desertgarden - Yes, mine was droopy the first year too. This rose seems to do well in so many places!! What a winner! I'm hoping fragrance comes in this year for mine. I would love to be stopped in my tracks by its fragrance!

Carol

My 2 yr. old, own root Grand Dame was not cane hardy this year, however, this was one of the worst winters we've had. She had black canes to the ground. I pruned her so severely (literally to the ground) that I wasn't expecting her to come back. It took awhile, but she's back, still small, but has buds and looks healthy - deep green, glossy, perfect foliage. I think with normal z5 winters, she will be fine. I will add that I usually lose hybrid teas to winter, but sometimes, you just gotta try. This is a rose I'm willing to pamper and coddle and do whatever it takes to make her happy. Carol, I've never seen a Grand Dame as perfectly shaped as yours. Desertgarden, those are magnificent blooms! It must be a challenge growing roses in Las Vegas.

It is challenging during the Summer here, Flowersaremusic. The labor can go into digging holes, the soil can be amended and the roses can be watered. This city ranks an 85 out of 100 on the Sperling Comfort Index for climate, where the U.S. average is 54. Most of the time being here is pleasant for many people and plants. Our Summer in Hades is the price humans, and our plants pay...glad it is dry during the heat, pleasant most evenings and only about 90 days of it....

Flowers - well, it took hours to shape her like that. Just kidding...I did nothing. I wasn't sure I liked that shape, because there's no flowers on the bottom half...but she's so gorgeous who cares.

Carol

I have three Grande Dames in my garden in Charleston, SC and they are my absolute favorite (and I have about 20 varieties). They do droop a little, but are fantastic performers from spring through the hot, humid summer, and long into fall. I also have a Pretty Lady, which is a cross between GD and a Doris Day floribunda. Similar looking flowers (but a little smaller) on a more compact bush with less drooping, but I still prefer the GD. Fragrance on both is to die for!

tracymurphy - Pretty Lady has great fragrance too?? Ooooh!! I should get it! I want more vivid roses in my yard...too many pale pinks.

Carol

Yes, rosecanadian! I have one in a vase beside my keyboard right now. Smells heavenly!

Sounds great!! Hmmm....hopefully Palantine has it.

Carol