Alec's Red and Uncle Joe/Toro are two reds that could cope with Dallas heat. Veteran's Honor is a good performer but no fragrance to speak of. Fragrant Cloud is not red, and the heat can make the color unattractive, but it's sooo fragrant! If you search previous threads You'll see Papa Meilland mentioned more often than any other red, followed by Velvet Fragrance. I've not grown Papa M. having heard that that he can be fussy. There's GOT to be one that doesn't blow as quickly as Mister Lincoln--I haven't even managed to get one of his blooms inside this year..

Firefighter is the hands-down winner in my Dallas fragrance garden, so I have two! Chrysler Imperial is a very close second. I have Uncle Joe, but it doesn't have any fragrance. Actually, my Veteran's Honor does have a pleasant fragrance.

Parole (aka Buxom Beauty) also has a great fragrance, but it is more of a pinkish red. It is a blackspot magnet, too. But all of these I have listed need spraying for blackspot here in Dallas, although Veteran's Honor is the most resistant.

Re Alec's Red, I have a friend here who has it (on fortuniana) and she raves about it.

Aggierose, just an FYI, there is a search function at the bottom of the page. You can enter "best red" or "most fragrant" to see the threads that have already been discussed. Some topics we like to discuss a lot, so it doesn't hurt to ask again, but just wanted you to know that there are 69 pages of active threads with 30 threads per page, and the search helps to find info.

Here are some threads that can give you more info:
Looking for some Great Reds!
What's Your Favorite Red Rose?

CRIMSON GLORY is my most favorite fragrant red rose, a must-have for people who savor the the fragrance of red roses.

Aggierose:

One to at least ponder is 'Black Baccara'. Some would say this rose is not red and comes close to being a black rose but I don't think that's quite true. I have been thinking about this rose since last summer when I saw one at a nursery but have not grown it. A few folks here have it if you want to inquire about it specifically. A really striking rose.

Providing a link for you below. Hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black Baccara

Is 'Oklahoma' worthy of consideration? You don't hear much about it but it has fabulous color and fragrance and is supposed to love heat: I don't know how it would do in the Dallas humidity. It's from the same cross as 'Mr. Lincoln', and I believe 'Papa Meilland' is as well.

Melissa

I grow Papa Meilland. I put it in the fragrance class in rose shows and win every time with it. It's not a heavy bloomer though.

I have Black Baccara and 2 Black Magic, which are both lacking in fragrance for me. However, I prefer Black Magic to Black Baccara. Black Magic's blooms are bigger and the bush more productive. Both varieties' blooms last a long time and are similar in color.

Kentucky rose,

I just love Black Magic roses! I used over 100 dozen of them in our wedding! They are actually the only flower I used! I have debated planting one because it doesn't have the great scent that I am loking for, but it does have such great sentimental value! This will be a tough choice!

Black Baccara is unique and I would not get give it up for anything but if you want fragrance this is not a rose for you.

Velvet fragrance will amaze you both with its fragrance and its productivity. From your remark I assume that your Velvet Fragrance is own root and if that's the case, it needs time to get going. VF has big fat, old fashioned blooms, so be patient, it is worth waiting for it.

Alec's red is very fragrant but it is not a dark red rose. However, the flowers last long.

As I keep saying every time "red rose" comes up that my absolute favorite is Papa Meilland - excellent cut flower and gets even darker while in the vase. I do not even try to describe the divine fragrance this rose has.

Rouge Royale is very fragrant and it is a good cut flower but it must, must be sprayed.

Oklahoma is my favorite scent of all the roses in my garden, it is also beautiful, dark, romantic looking and disease resistant for a HT, with decent repeat. I have found it much healthier than Papa Meilland or Mr. Lincoln, both of which black spotted so badly that they are no longer in my garden. I have 2 Oklahomas so I can almost always bring a few of it's glorious smelling blooms in doors to fill the house. Oklahoma's scent and deep rich colour are the epitome of the allure of senusous red roses. (can you tell I like this rose?)

Chrysler Imperial, Mirandy, Charles Malerin, Oklahoma, The Prince,

I've always raved about Vetren's Honor and Don Juan but I took a chance on two reds I knew nothing about a few months ago when I found these two roses on Fortuniana for $11 at my local Lowes. To my surprise they both impressed me completely! Those two roses are Mirandy and Oklahoma. Both are very dark lush red and have a heavy scent.

My vote for Vet's Honor and Don Juan still applies, but I have to add Mirandy and Oklahoma to my list.

Good luck and thanks for the thread. I find that we and our opinions all grow with time making these revisited topics appropo.

Adrian.

Oklahoma is definately darker than Mister Lincoln: deep-Deep-DEEP purply red. In full sun it gets even darker with definate black tones. TRADESCANT is another fragrant red rose with blooms that verge on black.

But the darkest rose I've ever seen is EMPEREUR DU MAROC (Hybrid Perpetual). Mine had retched disease resistance, poor vigor and absolutley no repeat bloom, but the flowers were a smoldering purply-black similar to clotted blood. Sounds gross but the tightly quartered black flowers had a dangerous beauty that is difficult to describe. The intense Damask fragrance was positively sinful.

Below is a link to the EMPEREUR DU MAROC entry at Roger's Roses. The first pic is shows the tight flower form and gothic color. If you click the pic you'll be treated to a lovely closeup.

Here is a link that might be useful: Empereur du Maroc at Roger's Roses

I go with oklahoma, chrysler imperial & christian dior as my best and beautiful reds, they do well in our heat.

Papa Meilland, Charles Mallerin, Deep Secret. No to Rouge Royale and Black Bacara. Have both, shovel-prune candidates.

I like Alec's Red more and more. I just got a baby one this past summer (from Lisa at Countryside Roses), and it's little but keeps putting out roses one or two at a time. They are amazingly long-lasting and also extremely fragrant; an almost unique quality. It's barely red, being more coral red or deep deep pink, depending on weather, but it's an attractive color to me, anyway. It's a very full, many-petaled rose, looking like something between a classic hybrid tea rose and an old bourbon rose. Very compact bush, but then I haven't had mine long.

I really like Deep Secret too. Deep deep red, modest sized hybrid tea blooms with average staying power, but right up there with Chrysler Imperial, Mr. Lincoln, and Alec's Red for fragrance. Smaller bush, very thorny, but very good disease resistance. I think the bloom form is best in moderate temps. In hot weather, it's still good as a cut rose if cut in bud stage.

Erotika, aka Erotica or Eroica, is also super fragrant and crimson red. Very disease resistant. But the bloom form doesn't impress me, yet. I've only had mine a year. I've gotten one or two attractive blooms. The others are "ok" for garden color but not as a cut rose in my estimation.

I have Papa Meilland on order for the spring. I can hardly wait. Some of you here have said to be patient, that it takes 3 or 4 years to come into its own and perform really well. I'm still excited.

I'm also replacing my Chrysler Imperial, which put out some terrific blooms, but inconsistently, and on a scrawny bush. I'm sure it was a virused plant ($4 from Walmart). So I scrapped it and ordered one from Roses Unlimited after hearing some favorable reports from others who had bought it there. --fingers crossed.

I have to mention a mini-flora, Memphis Magic. Totally scentless unfortunately, but Oh my God! Awsomely beautiful black-red velvety blooms that open very slowly and last for two weeks or more. Even after they dry up, whether cut or still on the bush, they still hold their shape and only change color a little. Amazing staying power. Great candidate for dried flowers. Mine was actually purchased as Memphis Music, the striped sport of Memphis Magic, but it had reverted. I've never seen a striped bloom on it. No matter, it's still gorgeous.

I only have one good picture of a red. Since it will support Patrick's enabling efforts, I will post it.

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