4x3 means it's should be 4 ft tall and 3 ft wide so 1/2 of three feet will be how wide it should get from the center of the plant on each side and according to an Arkansas zone Map your zone is 6b so it should be hardy not sure about the heat as my possible la reine is new this year but I have had hybrid perpetuals do okay in 100+ Heat

Hi, Aaron,

I don't grow La Reine but just wanted to mention that hardiness is a measure of how cold tolerant a rose is. "Hardy through zone 10" would mean that a plant could not tolerate temperatures colder than about 30 or 35 degrees F, which is the zone 10a and 10b rating. You can see the horticultural plant hardiness zone map here: Plant hardiness map, USDA

La Reine is rated to zone 5b by the rose data base, www.helpmefind.com, which means it is hardy or cold tolerant to about -15 or -10 degrees F. La Reine will be fine in your northwest Arkansas zone, temperature wise, as it looks like you're somewhere in the 6-7 range.

If this info is helpful, I am glad; if it was just a mistake when you wrote your description, please pardon me for telling you something you already knew.

I've used parsley as a companion plant with roses here in my Seattle area garden without a problem. I thought about eventual height of the parsley and placed it with that in mind. Gean

Since we're on the topic of La Reine, how much disease should one expect? I'm currently growing a band up to planting size and was shocked by how much trouble it's had from blackspot. Then again, it's a small plant in a pot ghetto during a warm, wet spring, so maybe as an established shrub it fares better?

John, the various "La-Reine-Types" all rust a little on old foliage, in my Coastal SoCal garden. But their new foliage is clean. Maybe a tiny touch of mildew when conditions are bad. Blackspot is a rare visitor here, and I don't see them troubled by that ... but there's a huge difference between our climates.

I don't grow 'La Reine', but I do have a young "Barbara's Pasture Rose", which is considered by many to be a 'La Reine' type. It is still very young, but the leaves definitely age out with spotty leaves here. New foliage is gorgeous, but then the leaves on one branch will all get spottier and spottier all at the same pace. Then they drop off and are quickly replaced by more gorgeous leaves.

Possibly the leaf-senescence cues are similar to what folks call Damask crud?

The flowers and fragrance are amazing with good rebloom here. I like it a lot.

Virginia

Thanks, Jeri and Virginia - that's good to know! Blackspot is usually just a spring affliction for susceptible roses in my garden, since we get very little summer rain. I imagine it's a much worse problem in SC! Rust is almost never an issue for me (Austin's Heritage is the only exception I can think of, and even that never got too bad). I will just place La Reine where it has good sun and airflow...and maybe some short companion plants to help hide any blackspot induced nakedness in the spring! Thanks again for the feedback!

I'd also be curious about other's experience with La Reine and its disease, especially southern or mid atlantic growers.

I have La Reine in zone 4. Very cold winters, and hot and humid summers. We just had a couple days in the 90's with very high humidity. La Reine just keeps blooming. I don't recall blackspot being an issue.

Thanks!

How does La Reine overwinter for you, MNkitty? Where did you purchases your plant?

Thanks!

Hi Kelly,

I think I got it from High Country Roses (not positive, though). I do give it winter protection, and it does fine overwinter. It definitely likes to be fed. I was so busy last year that I didn't fertilize anything, and La Reine didn't grow much compared to others in the same situation. Hope that helps.

Julie

Oh my gosh! Wherever did you find such a specimen, Sheila?!

I got it from Antique Rose Emporium 1/17, Kelly. It is really lovely!

Sheila, I saw your plant and was so inspired that I bought one from ARE and it looks wonderful and healthy! Thanks for posting the picture!

Sheila or anyone else still on here... will you please update us on how your La Rein is doing? I’m curious to know how it will do in my Hot Dry Coastal Southern California conditions... zone 10b

Mine is doing great here, Ann. It is modest in size still. Maybe 3 x 3 ft.

Sheila... if you happen to have pics... will your please share. I would love to see what her form is like and how you grow her.

Ann-SoCalZ10b SunStZ22 -- Since I've grown 'La Reine' for years, and have grown 4 different clones, I can say with confidence that it can be troubles by mildew and by some rust, but those things can be alleviated by removing affected leaves. Also, it's important that this rose get plenty of water.

ALSO -- and most importantly, "Barbara's Pasture Rose" is more vigorous, and far more disease-resistant than "regular" 'La Reine'.

Since you are in California, I suspect your experience would be similar to mine. This is BPR:

And here are sources:

"Barbara's Pasture Rose" nurseries (helpmefind.com)

Ann, here is mine right now leafing out. Behind it is Henri Martin with the black hips. Also a bloom from last Summer.

jerijen - I like the sound of disease resistance of Barbara's Pasture Rose. How large does it get for you? Would it be suitable for a half-barrel?

Birds We have to grow everything in big pots in the ground here, because of gophers. So
BPR isn't but about 3-ft to 3.5-ft. tall here

In the Sacramento City Cemetery, though it was much bigger. SEE:

"Barbara's Pasture Rose" Rose Photo (helpmefind.com)

If you like 'La Reine,' you'll LOVE "Barbara's Pasture Rose."

JeriJen: You’re right... I LOVE everything your telling and showing me about Barbara’s Pasture Rose. I love roses that are round and bushy with roses from top to bottom and blooms with the full rounded cup form. Do you know where I can purchase this rose??? I have a list of Rose loving friends who I’m sure would also love to get it.

JeriJen: Sorry... I just now saw the link above with links on where to purchase it. Thank you!

JeriJen: thank you! Thank you! You are always spot on about your Rose recommendations.

Ann-SoCal -- I am only accurate when I'm talking about conditions I know. If you were in Ohio, I wouldn't have a faint clue.

Oh, here's a neat thing I should pass on about 'La Reine' . . .

Years ago, there was a lot of good rose discussion on rec.gardens.roses. One of the people I remember talking with, there, was "Daniel in Normandy."

I recounted the experience of finding a 'La Reine' on the 19th-Century grave of a lady who was born in France, and died in NoCal.

That was when Daniel told me that when gold was discovered in California, many French people came here hoping to find their fortune. Daniel said that they knew, on leaving, that they would probably never return home to France, and so, many of them took rose plants with them, meaning to eventually have them planted on their graves.

I found that incredibly touching.

JeriJen: Thank you for sharing that story. I had always wondered the connection between beautiful old roses and cemeteries. This explains it. I wonder if people still do that today?... request to have a rose planted where you’re buried.

Ann, today's cemeteries are designed for riding mowers. You cannot plant anything on those graves. Our loss.

For 20+ years, volunteers worked to re-create the garden cemetery in Sacramento's City Cemetery, which looked like this, in 1860:

They succeeded . . . Using old roses like 'La Reine' et al, collected across the state, they recreated THIS:

The City has now destroyed it.

Ann, you also need "Grandmother's Hat"

I remember hearing that story of how the city destroyed the beautiful cemetery garden which had been so lovingly restored. An unspeakable shame!

Birds, the destruction continues. Breaking hearts.

JeriJen: thank you for sharing this picture. I never knew a cemetery could look so lovely.

Ann . . . I wish it still did.

jerijen, That is so sad about the Sacramento cemetery. People are so selfish and do not care about nature.

Love hearing all your stories too.

How long do roses last on La Reine? Sheila are you still happy with this rose?

Yes I am happy SoCal. The roses last well for an OGR.

Funny you should mention Daniel in Normandy up above. He just contacted me with questions about Madame Norbert le Vavasseur that has been in my garden since the 1920s. I feel you on the Sacramento cemetery. It saddened me so much that I finally was in Sacramento this month, but the roses were not. I ended up visiting a random rose garden at a library in Woodland I just happened to be driving by. It made my day Or visit because it was the only rose garden I got to see.

Barbara's Pasture Rose did very well for me in my former Cupertino garden. Much healthier than I would expect from a hybrid perpetual, assuming that is a variant of La Reine.

We battled rust and powdery mildew there, rarely blackspot. Occasionally spot anthracnose. I do not remember any of these being a particular problem for BPR.