My own-root has been very slow. I would not recommend it. Most HTs are better grafted.

Agree with michaelg. Own root HTs have been consistently wimpy for me.

My grafted Chrysler Imperial was never a strong, vigorous rose, although it did put out beautiful blooms--with long waits between blooming periods. And I don't remember it ever getting over 2.5 to 3 ft tall. After two years, I got tired of always WAITING for it to bloom, to grow, to do anything! So I spaded it--and planted Oklahoma instead. I'm now having some similar problems with Oklahoma, though it is a bit more floriferous.

Maybe there is something about these old classics that just doesn't like our middle of the country conditions? I don't know, but I wouldn't think own-root would help since roses tend to be even less vigorous if they are not grafted.

One possibility. Did you plant the graft an inch or more below the soil line? This past winter did a number on several of my roses, even though I usually plant the graft below the soil-line. If your graft was above the line, such a brutal winter would be hard on many roses.

It occurs to me that maybe it would be worth your time to see if you can find CI grafted on multiflora (like Palatine uses). Multiflora makes an even more vigorous rootstock than does Dr. Huey.

Good luck.

Kate

'Chrysler Imperial' is a good rose in most places if you spray fungicide or live in the desert where disease pressure is low. For me it blooms more than 'Mr. Lincoln' and has a bushier plant habit. I know of unsprayed and barely tended plants that survived for twenty years here.

I'm not in your zone, but all my roses are own root and some were definitely quicker to establish than others. For me, Chrysler Imperial has been easy to establish and vigorous as an own root plant. Mine is about five years old and four feet high. The only own root rose that died on me was Angle Face and my Double Delight has been a runt, but hanging in there.

I say give it a try, you never know. Sounds like this one is really important to you. I always put my own roots directly into the ground, never a pot as I think they are happier and establish more quickly. Try and find one that is at least a gallon. I got mine from Antique Rose Emporium as a two gallon pot. Love their plants!

That was always my impression about Chrysler Imperial, Michael--until I tried to grow it. Like Sara (who lives not too far south of me), I just could not get that plant going with any vigor. Oddly enough, I rarely had much BS problem with it at all--almost never sprayed it.

Then, after a couple years, like Sara's, mine just started dwindling away--so I helped it along.

I guess we are into regional differences, again--though I'm not sure what in Oklahoma-Kansas would trigger off those reactions.

A lot of these older HTs were bred to be grafted and were never tested as own root roses so there is really no way to know now how they might preform as such. The only thing you can do is give it a try and see how it does in your garden.

If you can find a better quality grafted plant at a nursery, whether local or on line, you may find it will do much better for you. The big box stores like Walmart do not get in the best quality plants to begin with and that may be why you're having difficulties. Some times a rose is just a dud from the get go. It might have a weak root system or have been grafted poorly or whatever. It's just never going to do well no matter what you do. That doesn't mean that that variety is a bad rose. It just means you got a bad plant of it.

Thank you everyone. I liked Kate's suggestion about trying the multiflora so I decided to go ahead and order one from Palatine, I've already done it. I am still a little curious about the own-root from ARE, I have been wanting to try them, because of the high praise they receive. It could be that since lizardacres lives in zone 9 that makes a big difference in the way CI would perform. Years ago I had a Chrysler Imperial planted on the south side of my house. Seems like it got fairly large and was covered with blooms. Perhaps planting it in a different location would help.