My guess is it will do very well in heat. Dick Koster has a famous coral sport called Margo Koster that widely grown in inland N California, where summers are over 100 degrees, and it blooms tirelessly there. Most of the Kosters are sported from each other and have similar performance.

Great.

Now I want one.

I decided to take the leap and buy a Dick Koster. Here it is hardening off under our tree. Now I have to decide where to put it. I may put it in the cutting bed because the flowers are small and I think the little mini cupped roses would be great in a vase alongside some of my other roses.

Jackie,

Do you have any full bush pictures?

FWIW, I didn't find that any of the Koster series of roses were hardy for me in zone 5 even though they're listed as such. Margo Koster I tried at least 3 times in different spots and Dick Koster I had once or twice, plus another one derived from these (maybe Margo's Daughter??). Your results may be different, particularly because a local nursery is selling them, but I didn't have any luck in my dry zone 5.

Cynthia

Thanks Cynthia,

That info will help me choose a spot that is more sheltered. Did you find they flowered well in sun, shade or partial sun?

They are polyanthas, and at least in my warm (zone 9) climate like full sun. In zone 5, I would think the warmest, most sheltered (from winter winds) place in your garden would work, as long as it gets full sun most of the year. Although HMF says it is only hardy to zone 6, that is their default, which means they don't know. I did find 4-5 nurseries on the internet which said that MK is hardy to zone 5, so you should be able to make this work!

Jackie

Thanks Jackie! Good to know it can take full sun.

I'm no help on the flowering question mmmm12, since mine never flowered in their first year and never made it to a second one. I'm sure yours will do better, but the shelter would be very important as Jackie says.

Cynthia

Hmmm....growing roses seems very precarious. :-)