Mystery Short Red Rose

12 years ago

I'd like to know what this red rose is. I have 3 or 4 bushes of them. They never grow to be more than 2-3 feet high, even in very wet years.
This is a delightfully fragrant rose, too. It looks like the Mr. Lincoln in my back yard except that it stays short.
The color is really closer to the rose on the right than the rather vermilionish one in the center. Looks great in the photo, but it's not really that color.
Thanks,
Sylvia

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Comments (9)

SylviaWW 9a Hot dry SoCal
Original Author
12 years ago
More of the Mystery Red. Remember, it's only a foot or so off the ground right now.
SylviaWW 9a Hot dry SoCal
Original Author
12 years ago
I thought these were all the same variety, but it doesn't look like it in this photo. Dr. Huey? Again, it stays quite short.
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SylviaWW 9a Hot dry SoCal
Original Author
12 years ago
Here's the Red Mystery again, with one of its very Mister Lincoln-like buds.
I wish I knew its name.
melissa_thefarm
12 years ago
I don't know, but think you can exclude 'Dr. Huey', which has a semi-climbing habit. Does this rose rebloom? What is the fragrance like: deep old rose ("Damask" fragrance), or mild and sweet, or something else?
Melissa
SylviaWW 9a Hot dry SoCal
Original Author
12 years ago
Melissa, I was dreading the "rebloom" question. These roses were neglected for so long, I honestly don't know. I know they have not rebloomed, or hardly at all, in recent years, but then they were unpruned, diseased, etc. I suppose I'll have to wait and see.
As far as fragrance goes, I'm no authority. I think "mild and sweet" is a better descriptor but it depends on the condition of my sinuses at any given point in the day! :)
It's their short height that intrigues me.
Thanks,
Sylvia
seil zone 6b MI
12 years ago
It might be one of the ground cover roses like Flower Carpet or Drift. I don't know anything else that would have that low growth habit. It looks like it has too many petals for DH and usually DH is a deeper red, not so bright. Besides, DH always wants to be TALL!
SylviaWW 9a Hot dry SoCal
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks, all. Seil, I'm no longer so sure about the low growth habit. One of these is throwing up a cane that looks to be about 3 1/2 feet high - never happened before.
I should probably wait, and see what and how it does over the entire season before trying to fully ID it. Think I need more information.
I'll look into the ground covers. They do get 12-18" tall, I think?
Thanks again,
Sylvia
seil zone 6b MI
12 years ago
Sylvia, I have an Appleblossom Flower Carpet rose that can throw canes straight up to at least 3 feet or more. It doesn't do it all the time but it can.
Jeannie Cochell
12 years ago
Sylvia - approx. how old are these bushes? What part of the US are you in? Does it bloom in clusters or one-per-stem? How many petals and how big do the blooms get?

It could be Black Cherry, a floribunda released by J&P a few years ago. A floribunda should be taller than 12inches, though.