Mine is giant. Eight feet tall, over four feet wide across the top. Vase shaped, with long, thick, naked legs. I have it at the back of the border. I don't especially love it, but it doesn't have much in the way of blackspot trouble and is generally carefree.

How tall does it get for you in zone 5? It's description shows it not getting very tall, but these comments make me think 2-2.5 feet tall might be a bit off. Cold zoners?

This was taken July 3 last year. It's 3 feet and started from the ground. It was about 5' by the end of season and it doesn't look as if I'll need to take much cane off of it when I prune next week.

Beautiful!! Thank you!

Love your picture, redwolfdoc! I planted mine last year and it didn't do very good at the beginning of the season, then it bloomed a little later on. Mine isn't very big yet, but is very healthy, getting ready to bloom, anxious to see it. Sure hope it doesn't get eight ft. tall!

Is everyone growing it own root?

I am growing it in NE FL in a pot on its own root. It is very healthy. Never seems to get blackspot. Needs a larger pot now though lol.

Mine is on multiflora.

Multiflora. Mine is from Palatine.

I'm assuming the height is because of the multiflora rootstock. I just planted my own root from Chamblee's last week so I'll see how it compares.

I also got own root from chamblees... I was going to order another but they are sold out...

Mine is a couple years old from Palatine. I had to dig it up in 2015 in April to make way for new deck and stone flowerbeds. It is still in a big pot and growing very well and has started to bloom - never missed a beat. Seems to be a strong plant. I am going to pair it with Plum Perfect, Lavender Simplicity and Lavender Veranda and some pinks.....I think the different lavender tones will be interesting.

hi ModestGoddess- I have 2 own root purchased last year from either Chamblee's or RU, I can't remember which. These came through a pretty cold winter without a lot of snow cover beautifully. Last year these grew about 4 feet tall so it did get tall for own root, especially for its first year in the garden.

Mine is ownroot. I can't even imagine it grafted!

Our Cooperative Extension has a Demonstration disease resistant rose garden and we planted it about 2 years ago. It has done well and has a nice fragrance. Limited blackspot on it and if any not seen until late August. Ours is own root too which came from Roses Unlimted (RU).

I got mine last year from Palatine. A healthy, vigorous, tall growing bush that blooms a lot. My only negative was that the thrips like it, too.

Mine is own root and in a pot (as I mentioned previously) I forgot to say its over 5 ft tall. Kinda growing like it wants to climb for some reason. Its in full sun. I think this one just wants to get big. I would like to get it grafted on fortuniana. I really love the color of this rose. I got it as a small band last spring from Hierloom.

Wow, sultry_jasmine...A small band to over 5ft tall in a year! That is some serious growth!

Hi, thank you but I cant take credit lol. Its the Florida climate. Some of my baby tea roses do take longer to get going but just about any other variety goes nuts here.

I live next to the Rose Gardens here in Portland, Oregon and the Poseidon roses are my favorite ones there :)

I guess since this thread came back up lol, I can update on my Poseidon. I do believe it has sported into a climber. Close to 14 ft before I just whacked it back about a month ago. I have cut it back in efforts to make it bushier several times and it immediately grows back to 10 feet then up to about 14 ft in a few more months. It seems to like to stay about that high.

I have it own root in a small pot. I was going to give it a larger pot but discovered it broke itself out the bottom of the pot holes and is in the ground! I'm used to that with roses grafted on Doc Huey but own roots don't normally break out pots here. So apparently, Poseidon is good in the ground, own root in NE FL.

It is a narrow climber here. The leaves stay green and healthy and it blooms alot. I love this rose. I need to order a bush form so I will have both.

~Sjn

14 ft?! I cannot even envision that . Does it bloom all over? I am stunned . Haha hope you will share photos . I have one coming and I think I want to put it on a bird feeder pillar . It will be the centerpiece of my bed . Sounds like it is living up to its name !

Buy Palatine if you can. Best quality roses I've received thus far. As for Lavender blooms, I have a Sweetness Tree Rose from Jackson & Perkins and she's a giver. I bring her in the side of my cellar in the winter (similar temps to a garage). Two of my Enchanted Evening Tree Roses came back last year, but ended up getting Black Spot toward the end of the summer. Plum Perfect is an amazing purple. Oh, I bought Le Petit Prince from Palatine as well. Gorgeous and healthy. Here are other lavender/purple roses to consider.

This is Plum Perfect (no fragrance)

Sweetness Tree Rose (Very Fragrant & My Favorite)

Sweetness Tree Rose prior to bloom (reference size)

Midnight Blue Rose

Le Petit Prince

Enchanted Evening Tree Rose

Here in zone 5 mine (on multiflora, from Palatine) is now going into its 4th season and likes to be 6-7 feet tall. Even with cutting it nearly to the ground after winter! It's one of my best roses!

I have Plum Perfect & it is fragrant. I use it as a border rose in my rose garden since it’s about 3’ x 3’.

I’ve had my Poseidon long enough now to know it’s a very good rose. Mine is close to six feet tall, a good bloomer and disease resistant. The only fault mine has, is when there’s been lots and lots of rain, not just normal rainfall, but several inches in a short period of time, the blooms are tacky! Of course last year in the middle of its big bloom flush was when we had lots and lots of rain! Normally the blooms are a lovely lavender blue and beautiful IMO. Love them in bouquets! I’ve ordered another one for this season.

I’ll update too, since it’s been a while. This should be helpful for those in hot dry climates. In my climate, Poseidon’s blooms fry in the summer sun. Really really fry.

Last summer I rigged up an ugly set up with an old screen from a sliding glass door on an upside down wheelbarrow to shield it from the sun, every time it was about to bloom. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. I was pretty much set to remove Poseidon. Then it bloomed in the fall and I didn’t need to use the screen. I got this huge vaseful.

I think I have the bush form, but it grows tall! When it reaches over 8F, I cut it back. It blooms so well, and the flowers are so lovely, that I think I’ll keep it, and find a part shade spot for it. I do love it. It’s healthy, no powdery mildew, and blooms in huge flushes!

I had to edit this. I accidentally hit submit after my first photo. Added the rest later. Lisa

Good to know about Poseidon blooms frying in the sun. I have my eye on this rose as well. Moonstone is like that for me. I have not seen a good moonstone bloom. It balls in the rain and fry in the sun. I am considering moving it to a more shadier area. But the whole bush looks healthy and happy though.

Jjpeace, I don’t know if Poseidon’s blooms fry in the full sun everywhere. I haven’t seen others mention it. It could be that it’s only in particular regions, where the sun is very intense. I’d be interested to hear from anyone else in a similar area, as to whether or not Poseidon’s blooms fry in full sun. My ‘Love Song’ OTOH, doesn’t fry at all in blazing sun all day, and that’s in a large pot. The Poseidon blooms that I get in early spring and late fall don’t have this frying problem. I would consider leaving Poseidon where it is, if it were smaller and easier to shield from the sun during the summer. However, my Poseidon wants to grow enormous! I really have no idea how tall it would get if I let it. I’ve cut it back quite severely several times during the year. It jumps back up to a slim (3 1/12F wide) 8F tall plant in about 4-5 months. I bought a passion vine to grow with it to shade the blooms from the sun, but I’ve since decided against planting it. I don’t think it would shade the blooms, just the leaves, and then I’d have another monster to deal with. Passion vine anyone? :) Lisa

Lisa, I have seen my blooms fry when it is in the 90’s.

Wow these photos are so beautiful on this rainy day ! Chey, If post often I must miss it but wanted to say thanks for sharing a glimpse of your garden . Please show more when you like! It looks lovely

redwolf , Lisa and Sara Ann , I love your photos and can't wait to get mine. It's coming from palantine which is even more exciting. Lisa glad you could work out something to keep it happy ! Passionvine grows here like a foot a day so I don't know if I would plant that in ca lol

Kentucky_rose, how much/what sort of sun is your 'Poseidon' in? I'm thinking of ordering one this spring and I've got a spot that would be morning only direct sun, bright shade/shade after. I may have to reconsider this rose, because we get about 4-5 weeks of at minimum the low 90s in the summer.

ac9tz6, my Poseidon is in all day sun. When Poseidon’s blooms are frying so are a lot of other blooms in my garden. This doesn’t really bother me like thrips and Japanese Beetles, both attracted to Poseidon. Poseidon is still a great rose bush, lots of long stem blooms.

There aren't many, maybe not any, places in my yard that get more than 6 hours of direct sun, so I think I'll give it a try. I'm not expecting a lot of any plant in August, but I'll still put it somewhere somewhat out of sight. Thank you Kentucky_rose!

I know this post was written years ago, but I just saw this and had to chime in. I am not an expert gardener and just started growing roses a few years ago. I live in zone 7a (on Long Island). Long Island is known for brutally cold winters with blizzard conditions and disgusting, hot, humid, and rainy summers.

I love the color purple, especially lavender and 2 summers ago It seemed Poseidon was sold out everywhere. I went crazy looking for this rose. I finally found it being sold as a bare root online at he White Flower Farm online. I bought it and it was expensive, but I wasn't sorry! It is my most prolific grower and has now ballooned up to at least 7+ foot tall by about 5 1/2 feet across and handles my frigid cold winters like a champ. It blooms prolifically and there seems to never be a time when it is not in bloom.

The only thing I hate about it is the blooms don't last long, when it gets really hot some of the blooms fry and if it rains a lot the blooms get a little yucky and ball up a little. However, it is constantly putting out more blooms so that makes up for it. The color is exquisite and I adore it!! It is the only rose bush in my garden that out of 25+ roses, likes my climate and keeps growing until the end of October.

I had thought from pictures that the bloom form and colors of Poseidon and Polka would look lovely together, but a stiff vase-shaped plant with naked legs might make growing Poseidon as anything but a specimen plant something of a challenge. Guess I'll keep reading and see what else comes up about those two plants and others in that color range....

Alot of these old threads have really good information in them; it's good to read them again (or maybe the first time).

I have been thinking about Poseidon for a few years,  and I see All  My  Thyme  has it in stock today. 

Can those of you in this thread give an update and I don't see anyone talking about the fragrance-- is it fragrant?

Carla in Sac

I would also like to know if lavender roaes like ppsridon amd plum oerfect take a few years to develop the sought after color…

@kitasei2, I had both in my backyard on Long Island, & the color doesn’t need to develop over time with these 2 purple/lavender colored roses.

@sautesmom, Kordes website on Poseidon says it has a light fragrance. I have moved away before actually seeing the rose in bloom, but IIRC, I purchased it because it was fragrant.

I agree with my post 6 yrs ago. Poseidon is a tall, big healthy bush. The blooms do fry in the heat, a profuse bloomer with some confused looking blooms, long stems, and no notable fragrance in my garden. I do cut and put in arrangements.

I have Plum Perfect, also, a much smaller healthy bush. The blooms are darker purple, fry in the heat, not happy in my arrangements, and no notable fragrance.

I love them both and I do spray.

I would say Poseidon has a slight to moderate grassy fragrance. What I like most is that it’s one of the bluest light lavenders, grows strong and blooms well.

@kitasea2 I don't grow Poseidon, but my Plum Perfect bloomed the right color from the start. This is one of the first blooms on my Plum Perfect (from RU) a couple of years ago. No fragrance that I've detected.

Sometimes fragrance can be present when it first opens, or early in the day it can be detected.

Ben

I'm glad you have it and chimed in since our growing situations are almost the same. 

I already have Love Song and Neptune, so if it smells more like Love Song than  Neptune I don't think it's worth my spending $100 on it.

;)

Carla

A $100 is a lot of money. I got mine from Palatine.

I was including shipping in my $100. And All My Thyme sends beautiful plants, I bought my Distant Drums from them.

Carla

Carla, that’s not a bad price with shipping included for quality plants from a reputable company. Give Poseidon plenty of room to grow cause it’s a big one in my garden. Enjoy!

Carla,

In strength of fragrance, Poseidon is indeed much closer to Love Song than Neptune. $100 still seems high for Poseidon or Distant Drums. My Distant Drums came from Burling this spring for $15 and is doing really well. I think I got 6 total plants with express shipping from her for about $100, and they’re all quite big now. Seems in a rose friendly place like Sacramento you could get a young plant it’ll grow big quickly, my Burling plants are mostly too big for their current 5 gal pots now.

@kentucky_rose, I had Poseidon own root from Heirloom Roses situated along a 6’ picket fence with Southern exposure. Originally, it had the McCartney Rose which I found out was grafted. One day in the backyard, DH saw 2 different colors on that bush — bright pink & red! I went over & saw that the nurse root Dr. Huey was starting to come up. I had the entire bush removed & once I removed all the surviving roots, planted Poseidon there.

Sorry if I was confusing everybody but that price was not including shipping--this   is my last order 3 years ago so I'm assuming shipping will be $25-30 on top of the $69