I had never heard of Boursault roses so I looked them up. They appear to be chinas so I don't think they would need any winter chill to grow and bloom. Most chinas are in fact cold sensitive and will die in cold zone winters.

If this information is incorrect, as it well could be since, like I said, I wasn't familiar with them, I hope someone more knowledgable will correct me.

Well, they're supposed to combine R. pendulina and R. chinensis -- so they could very well need some winter chill. I gather that they grow 12-ft. canes, and bloom on old wood.

Jeri

Yes--that's the great question: Which parent do they take after, and in which characteristics? Such roses as 'Mme. de Sancy de Parabere', 'Amadis', 'Calypso', and so on, have a lot to offer and certainly have had their admirers early as well as late (Vigneron and Geschwind made late contributions to the class which however was most active three-quarters of a century before: 1800-1830; "Parabere," while dated to 1874, was actually a foundling which one horticultural society member at the time thought he remembered as seeing 40 years previously); and many a time I've been tempted to try them here in coastal Southern California. But it might be best to know beforehand whether I'm entering "lost cause" territory . . . It's interesting to note with the Boursaults that, for different varieties, sometimes the Pendulina was known to be the pod parent, and sometimes the Chinensis.

I have Blush Boursault which came as a band from Vintage. It is completely thornless and wonderful with nice tall canes shooting up past 6 feet and being about 4 foot wide. Lovely lovely sprays of small light pink flowers but no scent that I can tell. It blooms around March but never later in summer or at any other time. It has had flowers every year that I have had it. Vintage says it will give autumn colored leaves ( but not in my climate). It has been disease free. It will fountain out if you don't tie it to something. Truly a trouble free rose if ever there was one.

Thanks! --Just the sort of info I was looking for. Time to give the Boursaults a try in my garden!

Brent, you better come back and tell us how they did!!

Jeri

Will do, Jeri!

I was pondering the Boursault hybridization. It seems as if it was always a "China proper" which was used as the Chinensis parent--probably 'Parsons' Pink' and 'Slater's Crimson' or the like. I wonder what a cross of Pendulina with a Tea would yield...

Best Wishes,

--BCD