I love mine too! It is own root and foliage is healthy here, but it is really short/small. Mine is a year old. I do wish it could get a bit larger.

Sheila's garden. · More Info

I loved it but the weakness of it own root made me dig it up in exasperation. I'd love to try it on fortuniana. What rootstock is yours Jeri?

Yours looks great, too, Sheila.

Never mind, mine is only 6 months old. Time flies. I should have held my tongue for another year or two.

I am really curious to see how tall it will get. It does seem to want to bloom so much, that could slow it down?

On its own roots, over several years, it never got over 16-18 inches tall. But this plant is close to that size already.

HOWEVER ... It is budded onto Fortuniana.

I grow Fortuniana, and it's an amazingly-vigorous garden-eater. That being so, I am really not surprised to see that Eugene is partaking of "Tumi's" (Tumi being its name in China) immense vigor.

There have always been roses that do best when budded. This may be one of them.

Jackie -- There are such treasures in your garden. Your place ought to be a National Monument.

Eugene looks gorgeous in these pictures, large or small. I'm becoming aware that some roses really need to have rootstock. Carding Mill is one such rose. It has done absolutely nothing as an own-root, absolutely pitiful, while a grafted one I had years ago almost immediately exploded in growth and bloom power. These are the things they don't tell you when you order....

I have an old Eugene in a pot..it has been in the pot many years, coming through winters with temps down to 4 degrees and two week periods of freezing solid. I would think it would get more winter damage. It's an own root plant, stays short, maybe 2'x2' , but blooms often and very pretty. As a small plant it grows so slowly own root but it'll build up if you don't mind waiting.

I didn't mind Eugene de Beauharnais being small . . .
I finally trashed it because, once we quit spraying, it rusted uncontrollably. NEW leaves rusted solid as they unfolded. OUT.

This one was an experiment. Kim was correct. Budded on Fortuniana, it is free of any foliar problems.

Here's the same bloom, today:

That's something to take note of..that vigor can make for better leaf health. I have had roses that have more bs as small plants. I think Reine des Violettes does better grafted.

The Reine des Violettes I had was a ROY&T plant, grafted on Huey. It could have used more vigor, to be honest, but bloomed beautifully. We often discussed the lack of virus signs -- knowing that it must be there, given its origin.

It's 20th winter was one of our rare really cold winters, with multiple dips below freezing. When spring came, the poor thing leafed out showing virus from top to bottom, and promptly died. Poor thing.

Interesting. My EdB from Reverence for Roses grows like mad almost 3’ tall and blooms constantly, but I am about to chuck it because it is covered in black spot. Even with spraying. No rust tho @jerijen

PDX Robert -- I think powerful rootstock gives it what it needs to resist disease. Blackspot is rarely ever an issue here. Own Root, it rusted worse than any rose I've ever seen. On Fortuniana, NO disease.

@jerijen that blows me away how powerful the right rootstock can be! does it also become a monster on fortuniana?

Mine is own root, but other than the BS, it is growing vigorously. One cane is as thick as my finger! All the others are pretty spindly tho.

Mine is own root. I just got it out of its band pot into a roomier one. Hoping it takes off now.....

It honestly shouldn't surprise anyone that a vigorous understock can increase the disease resistance of a rose (or any other plant). It's well known that animals' (Humans, included) immune systems are located in their guts. Their digestive tracts. The root system of a plant IS its digestive tract. That is what absorbs the majority of its nutrients. Some are absorbed through the foliage and canes but the roots (remember FEEDER roots?) search and retrieve the resources which enable the plant to survive. If those roots are not vigorous, or strong, or are unsuited to the climate/soil/water in which the plant grows, it won't be good and likely not very successful. Put good roots under it and watch it grow. Remember all the older roses which were considered

"good" until only available own root? Should any of this honestly surprise any of us?

Love, love this rose. In my garden it is happy on its own roots. One of the few roses in my garden which stay 3-4 feet high, which I value in a garden overflowing with roses which never stop growing. Also, it tip roots, and sometimes its roots throw off suckers. Neither of these things happen often enough to be annoying - maybe once every 2-3 years. So, I can get new bushes without fiddling with trying to root cuttings.

Wanted to mention two benefits of growing it on its own roots, of course if it will grow happily that way in your area.

Jackie