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brightstar123

Roses for hot climates

brightstar123
8 years ago

I know this topic has been covered many times before, but I thought everyone might have some updates - new roses they have tried, plants that matured, any surprise disasters etc.

Perhaps if people could mention whether their climate is dry or humid heat and an approximate temperature range that the roses are doing well at eg 80+, 90+, 100+ etc.

I'm particularly interested in drought tolerance, whether the blooms fry or not, if the rose continues to bloom in the heat and also how vigorous the growth is when it's hot. Or any information at all really :) Thanks!


Comments (24)

  • brightstar123
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Just realised that 80 degrees is not actually that hot, I shouldn't have converted Fahrenheit to Celsius in my head! Maybe 90+, 100+ and 110+, the last of which would be pretty uncommon here - usually only a few days a year.

  • jacqueline9CA
    8 years ago

    We have had a long, hot, dry summer, and our last substantial rain was in December of 2014. My best re-blooming roses are the tea rose Le Vesuve, and the red china Cramoisi Superior. Both are blooming right now, and have been relentlessly since last April. The tea Duchesse de Brabant and its white sport Mme Joseph Schwartz have been keeping up with them, also.

    Jackie

    brightstar123 thanked jacqueline9CA
  • roseseek
    8 years ago

    You might find the information much more useful if you also include location and specific conditions. Jackie has wonderful results from some pretty great roses, and the photos of her roses and garden are spectacular...but her conditions are rather unusual and very supportive of such results. Having the blessing of gardening in a hundred year old garden, not on engineered soil, with a century-plus of leaf litter and symbiotic fungi/bacteria/insect support honestly helps results. The same roses, with the same treatment, will peform tremendously different if placed in the same temps with the same water, but in a new sub division on engineered soil (mechanically compacted to mitigate seismic issues, with significantly reduced, often eliminated drainage, and completely lacking in organic material); no protection from all day, intense sun (as opposed to well established trees); wide, established beds instead of the much more common, "newer" foot wide borders between concrete driveways and stucco and glass walls, etc. Not that the other information isn't valid or helpful, but your mileage is going to vary tremendously between a well established plant in a century old garden in San Rafael, CA and a new own root plant in Riverside or San Bernardino, CA in compacted sub soil, being broiled in a foot wide 'bed' between a concrete drive and a block wall or plate glass window.

  • ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
    8 years ago

    In my hot, dry climate where temperatures can go up to 100 degrees or more (although the 90's range is more usual) the best performers are Le Vesuve, La France, Bishop's Castle and Rosette Delizy. There is some marine influence and nights and early mornings have greater humidity. I still find that most roses do best in morning sun and afternoon shade.

    brightstar123 thanked ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
  • brightstar123
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    I didn't want to include too much specific information about my location and conditions as I was interested in reading about a whole range of everyone's experiences with roses in hot climates. I thought that may be more useful to future readers too - that's how I learned so much and got ideas for my garden (unfortunately I read the M Tillier and heat thread too late!)

    Rosette Delizy is a success for me too, the blooms didn't fry last week when the temperature was over 100 in my yard. They were quite a dark crimson on the outside but still nice enough. Mrs BR Cant isn't great, the blooms cook after a few hours. G Nabonnand seems ok, slight frying but not too bad. A few winners here are Glamis Castle and Eyes for You, as well as Mme Alfred Carriere, Souv de Pierre Notting and surprisingly the Damask Celsiana.

  • noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque)
    8 years ago

    Rosa banksiae is well known for being tolerant of dry conditions and heat. It's probably the most widely planted "landscape" rose planted here in high desert dry heat, but unfortunately people don't realize it is a climber or very large cascading shrub, and shear it into balls. Nothing lasts well in the dry heat with intense high altitude sunlight here, but Bishop's Castle keeps putting out blooms, Radio Times doesn't fry much but hasn't rebloomed, Alnwick Castle keeps putting out blooms that fry within a day or two. Old Blush keeps blooming away although flower form suffers. Madame Isaac Pereire's end of first flush flowers hold up very well as the heat builds.

    brightstar123 thanked noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque)
  • brightstar123
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Maybe for fun and future reference I'll rank them like this. It's not meant to be super serious, more of a guide to roses that could be worth a try.
    Please keep the suggestions, additions and amendments coming!

    For the temperature range 85-100F, average humidity and full sun position:

    Highly Commended (minimal bloom frying, continues to flower):
    Bishop's Castle, Rosette Delizy, Le Vesuve, La France, Glamis Castle, Cramoisi Superior, Duchess de Brabant, Mme Joseph Schwartz, Eyes for You, For Your Eyes Only, Souvenir de la Malmaison, Prospero, Potter and Moore, Mme Alfred Carriere, Archduke Charles ...

    Pass (some bloom frying, smaller or slightly misshapen blooms, possible reduction in flowering):
    G Nabonnand, Radio Times, Alnwick Castle, Old Blush, Mrs B R Cant, Hermosa, Wife of Bath, Cymbeline, Tamora, Fair Bianca, The Prince ...

    Fail (completely sizzled blooms in less than 8hrs, may stop flowering):
    Grace, Monsieur Tillier, General Gallieni, Francis Dubreuil, Mary Rose ...

    It would be great to hear about everyone's experiences with more of the Teas and Chinas!

  • boncrow66
    8 years ago

    These are all first year roses but have tolerated the heat well and I have been impressed by how healthy they are and how much they have grown in my east Texas hot and humid climate. I only water once a week too. And they have shown no disease.

    Perle d 'Or (non stop bloomer)

    Duhesse de brabant

    Mrs. B R can't

    Marie Pavie (non stop bloomer)

    Caldwell Pink (has not stopped blooming)

    Quiteness

    I am so excited by how well they have done and am looking forward to watching them grow and mature.

    brightstar123 thanked boncrow66
  • boncrow66
    8 years ago

    I forgot to add that my Nacogdoches, in the ground for 5 yeas is a super trooper and laughs at the heat. It has pumped out masses of beautiful yellow blooms all summer and has beautiful foliage that has been BS free. Love love love this rose.

  • roseseek
    8 years ago

    In a chat on Facebook last night, it seems Nacogdoches may well be Sunblest.

  • boncrow66
    8 years ago

    That's interesting to hear, I will have to look Sunblest up. All I know is it is beautiful and tough as nails. It's my husbands favorite rose.

  • boncrow66
    8 years ago

    Kim I googled Sunblest and it very much looks like my Nacogdoches except for the fact that mine has no scent, at least to my nose. Whatever the case may be it will be Nacogdoches to me and my favorite yellow rose of Texas.

  • jacqueline9CA
    8 years ago

    Kim - thank you for reminding me that I should thank Heavens all of the time for how lucky I am re the soil, etc. in my garden which you pointed out. The next time I am feeling sad because we only have a certain amount of direct sun in our garden, I will try to remember all of the gifts that the trees bring, from leaf litter to providing some partial shade in the hot sun. Also just the passage of time - that is truly a gift.

    Jackie

  • roseseek
    8 years ago

    Yes ma'am, that they are. You're welcome. Plus, you have the familial connection with the pleasure knowing much of what you are appreciating also brought joy to those in your family who tended them before you. Like a sacred trust, to keep loving what prior generations loved. "Living heirlooms". Kim

  • nikthegreek
    8 years ago

    Jackie having a partially shaded tree garden gives one the opportunity to grow roses 3-dimensionally, an opportunity which, judging by your pics, you have really used to your garden's advantage. Having good soil is paramount so you're right to consider yourself lucky. You can't start to imagine what we poor soil gardeners go through..

  • jacqueline9CA
    8 years ago

    Nik - your garden is so lovely, you must be doing everything right, despite dealing with poor soil. As Kim says, I am lucky that I am the fourth generation of gardeners to garden on our property (unusual for California) - I am sure that the soil was not so good when the house was new in 1905. It was 100% clay, which thankfully has changed over the years to clay based loam. I actually found a small area near the corner of the house, by the garbage, in an area that has never been planted, and the soil is still 100% clay there - you could make pottery out of it easily. We have photos of the house when it was new - no trees, no large bushes, just some small plants and flowers.

    The original couple who gardened here, my DH's great grandparents, were immigrants from Germany. They planted fruit trees, built a grape arbor, built all sorts of paths and formal garden "rooms", and even a pond. The garden is much wilder and overgrown now, but we have enjoyed using and extending many of the original beds, etc. We have pictures of it through the years. One thing I am thankful for - in 1925 there was one of those huge, fat & short (as opposed to tall & skinny) palm trees in the middle of the front lawn - they were very popular around here at that time. It had disappeared by 1940, thank goodness!

    Jackie


  • Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I garden in Las Vegas, zone 9a/8b. We average about 91 days a year during the summer with high temperatures exceeding 100. July is Hades, with temperatures that can reach the 100 teens. There is very low humidity... It's dry....

    Once temperatures hit the high 90's -100's, every rose I have changes. Don Juan ( I no longer grow) Mlle. Sombreuil, Blush Noisette, Mrs. B.R. Cant, Archduke Charles, SDLM, Mary Rose, Angel Face, and Twilight Zone, have blooms that become smaller during high temperatures, but do not fry. Don Juan was the only rose I have grown that will bloom during July, when temperatures hit the 100 teens. The smaller blooms (2-2 1/2") died after a number of days versus frying.

    In my garden, having the worst heat tolerance in terms of fried blooms are Ebb Tide, Clementina Carbonieri, and Pink Peace. I am expecting more from Pink Peace as it matures, but judging from my former neighbors plant, I think it would be better grafted on Dr. Huey.

    Lynn

  • roselee z8b S.W. Texas
    8 years ago

    I couldn't let this interesting and informative thread pass without the mention of September Morn as a rose which keeps producing large blooms through extreme heat in Texas.

    Scroll down to the first pictures on this thread from 2011: OGRS in My Very Hot Climate and be sure to read the comments as in some climates it gets powdery mildrew, but never in my garden; not even when Souvenir de la Malmaison is affected.

    brightstar123 thanked roselee z8b S.W. Texas
  • Nor
    8 years ago

    I am in zone 9b, with hot and humid summer. I live in a new-ish subdivision and as roseseek posted above, my soil is pure, compacted sand full of nematodes. Any attemps to improve the soil condition seem to be futile. My effort to introduce in-situ compost resulted in a maze of underground tunnels. My roses are either declining, dying or dead with the exception of Clothilde Soupert. In my yard, it rooted well in moist,shady location. The last count of Soupert in my yard is 24, all rooted from one plant. Flowers last for two days in the heat,but repeat very fast.

  • brightstar123
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Thanks everyone for the suggestions and ideas - I'll add an updated table with more roses and also including some of the info from the previous thread that Roselee posted.

  • jacqueline9CA
    8 years ago

    sun_sky_sand, you might try raised beds. My parents-in-law had similar conditions, and built a bunch of them, and it worked great.

    Jackie

  • muscovyduckling
    8 years ago

    Lamarque does very well in Perth, Australia, which is a Med climate with hot dry summers with day temps between 30-44 celcius over summer (90-115 F). Crepuscule stops blooming in the hot weather.

  • plectrudis (Zone 8b Central TX)
    8 years ago

    Every year is different for some reason, but our stars this year were Kronprinzessin Viktoria, Chuckles, Quietness, Green Ice, and Rubens, who bloomed his fool head off. Plus two you've already got on your list: the incomparable Cramoisi and SDLM.

    We're a humid-ish hot climate just E of Austin.

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