Such a timely post. I've been looking at roses lately and I keep wondering which ones would be the hardiest. I would love to be able to find a hardy tea rose that performs like it should. My mother had a beautiful long stem red rose in her garden but it was long before my days of knowing what names of plants were all about. i'd love to see everyone's input on this.

Shauna

Gil, Hansa has performed up to those standards up until this year. Not sure why it would have so much die back after 6 or so years.

I've only had Blanche Double de Coubert for a couple of years, so i can't say she's proven herself actually, but she has met the criteria so far.

I have 2 roses that have had no dieback what so ever the last 2 winters.-Theresa Bugnet and Prairie Peace.
Theresa is now about 4' tall and PP is over 6' tall. This one sends out suckers. So maybe next year I'll be able to give some away.
I bought PP from Sheila Holmes - site listed below. There looks like alot of hardy roses bred by Robert Erskine. I emailed her in the summer requesting to be put on the waiting list for PP. I had them the following spring.
The site also has some really nice martagons.

Shelley

Here is a link that might be useful: Robert Erskine Roses

I can vouch for Therese Bugnet also..totally reliable for me. I have an unknown cabbage type rose that is tough as nails, it smells like heaven when in bloom. The only draw back is the thorns. I have a William Baffin that has overwintered 2 years for me with little to no tip die back and I give it no winter protection at all. I also have a red leaf rose that is winter hardy..the foliage is beautiful and makes up for the fact it only blooms once.

The old Scotch Briar roses (Altiaca) and Hybrids, Rugosa and Hybrids and a lot of the old Specie are hardy. Unfortunately they are very hard to find. Main thing to remember when ordering is to make sure that what you are buying is OWN ROOT.

Gil, my Harison's Yellow had no winterkill either this year, can't wait to see it bloom now.

Did you not order Polestar (Polstjärnam), you'll find that this climber tough as nails. No pampering or covering and it grows while you are sleeping. Unreal scary growth!

If you were only to invest in one rose, I always recommend Therese Bugnet, it is so super-duper hardy for the north and most of all it has such beautiful flowers and the colour in the fall is breathtaking.

Sharon

I have had no winter kill on:
Prairie Youth 7'high
Prairie Peace 5'high
Therese Bugnet 5'
Louis Riel 4'
Dr Merkeley 2-1/2'
Fru Dagmar Hastrop 4'
Dart's Dash 3'
Even Dr. Merkeley had a couple of canes sticking 2'out of the snow with no problems. All but Dr. M. & Dart's dash are in bud and it is fun trying to guess which will be first to bloom while my neighbours roses that died back to the ground even with lots of protection are just beginning to grow. Tom; Most of these hardy roses if grown on their own roots will sucker and become rather unruly. The 2 rugosas I have are in a perennial bed and therefore not on their own roots and after 4 winters have had no died back and are nice tidy, mannerly shrubs.

Shelly, thanks for the Robert Erskine Roses website, I've got it in my favourites and will most likely go on the waiting list or maybe I can get a PP slip from you?

Were they a good size when you received them?

Sharon

As long as PP puts out some shoots, I'd gladly give you some Sharon. Last year one of them put out a sucker. My mom has spoken for it already. So now that they are bigger I'm sure it'll send out alot more. This will be their 3rd summer.

No they were not big when I received them. They were 18" sticks with a bit of root attached to them. By my did they grow. I had ordered 2, but was sent 3 Prairie Peace.
I'm thinking next year I'll try some different kinds from there as well.
BTW the branches and leaves on PP look very similar to Theresa Bugnet.

Shelley

Leo, after your posting I had to check to see if any of my roses are budding. Yup they are.
Prairie Peace
Theresa Bugnet
The Hunter
and a wild rose.

Marie Bugnet might have a small one on too.

Shelley

Thanks Shelley, put me on your waiting list. LOL

18" isn't bad IMO ;)

We get Dr. Huey or Multiflora root stock on grafted plants here. Neither are hardy in our zone. If you plant with the graft deep enough to be hardy (if it makes it) the grafted (upper, hardy) part will sucker anyway.

Shelley, the Prairie Peace that you gave to me has live red sprouts coming along the cane! Another exciting thing to be excited about today!

Sharon

Good Sharon. Actually I wasn't too worried about PP. Like I said the ones that I bought hardly had any root on either. Although I received them before they were leafed out.
How are the other plants?

Shelley

So far, all the other plants are doing good, they sure appreciated all that rain this past week!

I'm looking at the ROBERT ERSKINE website right now, that's too bad he passed away in 2003. He did alot of good breeding with plants.

Thanks so much Shelley!
Sharon

We live in Calgary. I cut all the rugosas back to the ground in early april whether the canes survive or not. We now have 6 in bloom. I find they bloom earlier and fuller if all the energy is put into fresh cane development. Our non-rugosas that bloom on old wood (Persian Yellow, etc.) are just unfolding now.