I read that somewhere and I must admit I haven't ever seen deer damage on mine, they are over my head. I'm trying a couple of yellows this year, Topaz Jewel and Agnes, but can't report on them yet. Hansa is more double than the usual single white, pink, and magenta ones.

"Deerproof" may be a bit of a stretch, but most lists include them as being deer resistant. Generally, heavily thorned plants tend to be well down the line on their preferred menu items :-)

The attached link is from a local gardener of rugosas in a notoriously deer-prone area who has had success with these roses:

Here is a link that might be useful: Whidbey Island rugosas

You might also try some of the moss roses. I have one called Robert Leopold that's a beauty and is the thorniest rose in my garden. I have to be very careful deadheading it because the prickles are so heavily concentrated, but it's a beauty!

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Robert Leopold

Not bothered on Camano Island site where other roses sought out among other plants and cropped.

Nothing is totally deer proof, but rugosas come as close as anything. Not moss roses though. It's not the thorns they dont' like, otherwise they wouldn't prune mature hybrid teas down to the ground, thorns and all.

I had a hedge of various rugosas lining my unfenced drive in deer country, although pretty much anywhere in North America is deer country. They did nibble on the one right on their path, and heavily grazed the climbers on the fence, but otherwise left the rugosas mostly alone.

They'll eat anything when they're starving. And the young ones try everything when they're first getting out on their own. So nothing is totally deer proof.

My faves are Roseraie de l'Haye, an extremely fragrant purple one, and Martin Frobisher, with nice fall leaf color.

Thanks for the suggestions. Momma and her twins were in my yard again this am so I'm really trying to get deer resistant plants. The kids though sample everything and then spit out the flowers they don't like. I appreciate your comments.

Have seen salmonberry browsed on same site. Think the way the thorns and prickles probably work as a defensive strategy is that the stems are much less likely to be eaten when so armed. The hybrid tea rose may not have had enough of them to avoid having stems eaten, or some thorny stems are sometimes eaten anyway. We're talking about relationships going back a very long time, which a hybrid tea rose would not have been a part of - these don't exist in the wild anywhere. A dairy cow wouldn't fare the same way with wolves as a wild bovine, either.

reg pnw7- does RdlH repeat bloom any? I don't find my present rugosas to be fragrant and that would be nice. I am pursuing rugosas as I'm tired of putting wire circles around all my roses, and especially those in isolated spots. Do you know someone who carries them?

Here is a link that might be useful: Roseraie de l'Häy

If they don't smell the roses you have now must be from crosses with non-fragrant, non-rugosa roses. Or your hooter just does not pick up their particular aromas very well.

"Probably the most widely grown and certainly the most popular of all the Rugosa family, this rose is a typical Rugosa with vigorous, very thorny stems that is very healthy and is repeat-flowering. The big open flowers in small clusters are an intense crimson-purple with cream stamens and the scent is memorable, a rich concentration of cloves and honey. 'Roseraie de l'Hay' is probably the finest in its class and useful in many situations, but it is most excellent as a hedge plant; a group of specimen plants in a wild garden will add color and scent. An unusual feature for this type of rose is that it does not have any hips."

--Botanica's Roses

Not all rugosas are fragrant. Any rugosa other than seedling Rosa rugosa is a hybrid, often crossed with things like floribundas to make them more garden-worthy. Always check descriptions before buying a rugosa with the assumption that it will knock your socks off. Not all will.

Don't recall where I got my Roseraie de l'Haye. Probably either Heirloom or Arena. Check helpmefind.com. She does repeat but nothing like the first flush. Deadheading is in order to get the most repeat but other than that she gets no care. Not even water. And, do not spray rugosas. They'll drop their leaves if you do. I like that in a rose. But, they make lousy cut flowers - the flowers shatter within a day of being cut, and the stems are short. Keep that in mind before replacing all your hybrid teas with rugosas.

Thanks, Reg- my rugosas are all planted on my front bank and were generic by color from Burnt Ridge, unnamed, except for Hansa from Fred Meyer and this year Agnes and Topaz Jewel. They are taking the place of roses that died there since it's inhospitable, rarely getting any water, or were moved last year and are doing better in a regular bed, but since rugosas are already doing well there I can use more. I have 2 acres so there's 200 feet or so of front bank.:-) The roses being generic may explain why they don't have much fragrance. Hansa may have more than the others. I don't actually have many HT's, I like OGR's better. Most OGR's also have short stems and are not that good for cutting, but I have small vases and cut them anyway.

BTW Distant Drums is putting on a spectacular show now, I am so impressed. Too bad it's not deer proof.

>Any rugosa other than seedling Rosa rugosa is a hybridNot all named forms are hybrids, 'Alba' and 'Rubra' for starters.

If you don't get much out of 'Hansa' you may just not be able to smell these very well.

I have 3 of these bushes. 1.-(Blanc Double De Coubert..white heirloom) 2.- (Frau Dagmar Hartopp..pink rugosa) 3.-F.J.Grootendorst...red rugosa

All the stems and stalks are so extremely thorny clear down to the ground. I've never seen anything like it. I thought I read somewhere that when that happens it means there is a disease of the bush. Does anyone know if that is true? Is it natural to be this extreme?