Lily, Welcome to California! Where are you located now after your move? I did a bunch of research on this forum and elsewhere last fall, looking up anything I could find about David Austin roses that do well in heat. DA roses were my first love when I was a graduate student in Corvallis OR. I ended up buying: Darcey Bussell,
Golden Celebration,
James Galway,
Lady of Shalott.

I don’t have firsthand experience with heat on these 4 yet though.

I also have an ongoing wishlist of roses I might try in the future that are heat tolerant, or at least whenever I came across evidence from here or elsewhere that a specific DA rose did well in heat I added it to my wish list. I specifically looked for someone saying the flowers didn’t totally fry in the heat. But if anyone sees a rose below that shouldn’t be on this ‘hot’ list please chime in. Here it is:
Alnwick,
Bishop’s Castle,
Cottage Rose,
Evelyn,
Munstead Wood,
Olivia,
Potter and Moore,
Princess Alexandra of Kent,
Queen Nefertiti,
Sister Elizabeth,
Teasing Georgia,
Molineux,
Sophy’s Rose.

I’ll only comment on what I’ve grown, Darcy Bussell is great, Evelyn is the best, Abraham Darby is good but rusts once a year for me. Alnwick is beautiful, but shatters fast during summer(a day or two), Alnwick Rose is quite good, my Molineux is doing well, but it’s young. Mary Rose was great in the shade, but no good for cutting, Queen of Sweden was removed for all sorts of problems, Sister Elizabeth is good in afternoon shade, as is Queen Nefertiti, although QN is still young. I think that’s most of them. Lisa

Lilyfinch, I need to go comment on your new post, but gratulations on a successful househunt!!! :)))!!! I'm sure you remember and of course her climate is very different from where you are, but don't forget to look at the ones CoriAnn grows. I seem to remember Falstaff doing well for her, but MW going a glaring colour!

I have Jude the Obscure and it's does amazing. love it!!!

Being familiar with the climate where I think you are Lily, I would definitely look to those who grow roses in a more inland California location, as it differs. Many of these gardeners deal with some of the same issues I confront in Las Vegas, just not to the same extreme. Your roses will likely have less of a propensity for any fungal diseases if you have to deal with it at all... I have often thought that Napa/Sonoma is one of the best places in America to grow roses and all sorts of things. Where you are should be similar. Lucky you!!

Cori-ann (inland No. California), Catspa, Ann (Napa area??), and Stephanie (post above) all deal with hot, drier Summers compared to places more coastal. There are a few others who garden in conditions that will be very similar to yours, but their forum names are slipping my mind right now. Burlington, whose nursery is in Visalia, CA... another inland, hot, dry Summer area is a great non-local resource for roses. It seems as if Lisa has already become a great source of knowledge :) She has probably already mentioned all of this... but just in case...

If you are considering dry heat tolerance:

Munstead Wood... it will likely change to a bright color in July/August

Olivia Austin

Mary Rose

Jude the Obscure

Glamis Castle... some hate the fragrance... I grew it in a southern exposure location

Abraham Darby, Golden Celebration, Falstaff, Huntington Rose, Young Lycidas, Bishop's Castle ( will appreciate afternoon shade.. but maybe not where you are)

Princess Alexandria of Kent, I grow in an almost full sun position in Las Vegas

Crown Princess Margareta

Evelyn... I grew William Morris (related to Evelyn) but think that people who garden in conditions like yours have had good success with her...

Happy shopping and gardening!

Pretty Jessica, Mary rose and golden celebration have done well. I’m trying out Bathsheba this year and so far it is doing well but there hasn’t been much heat yet.

Let me just say -- I don't think it's heat, as much as it is lack of winter chill and a shortage of water.

This would be most applicable to coastal areas (which have little-or-no winter chill) and far less problematical for inland areas -- The farther inland you go, the warmer your daytime temperatures are likely to be, and the more winter chill your garden will receive.

I am on the Coast, in a sheltered area, and in an average year, we get, more or less, zero chill hours. Austin roses were bred in circumstances where they got significant winter chill, and good rainfall. Those factors make them less than ideal for my conditions (tho we grow a few).

Thus, here, roses such as 'The Pilgrim', 'Evelyn', 'Othello,' 'Leander', and a few others turned into "Jolly Green Giants. And I do mean "green" as in scanty bloom production.

Clair Martin observed that Austins described as being 4-ft. tall (or lower) would retain a modest size, and bloom well. Those described as being 5-ft. tall (or taller) were going to be "Jolly Green Giants." I'm sure there are exceptions, but my experiences fell along those lines.

You can actually look at Wikipedia entries and websites for Cities, which often give you temperature ranges and chill hours for each area.

in one insane year, I actually self-pegged 'Othello,' 'Mme. Isaac Pereire' , and 'The Pilgrim.' The results, believe me, were not worth the effort and pain invested in the endeavor, and I never did it again. Pulling canes out lengthwise along something like a picket fence should be effective. But before doing that, I would observe carefully what the sun does in such an area. In hot summer sun, you can cook rose canes into oblivion.

Jeri, I always admire your photos of Golden Celebration. That one must do well? I'm sure it must like a lot of water though lol.

~Sjn

I live in CA in an area that is about 3--5 degrees cooler in summer than Las Vegas. Austins that do well here would be Pretty Jessica, Munstead Wood, Ambridge. I do grow others but give them afternoon shade.

This will be the first year my Lady of Shalott won't be shaded by a big tree in the afternoon. I will have to see how she does. She has a tendency to be a bright orange here in the sun and heat. Not exactly my favorite color for a rose, but my neighbors just love her. I wished she would bloom more. She is getting very tall here and is now about 5 feet or so.

I love Brother Cadfael, however, he pretty much only blooms in the early spring and late fall for me. The rest of the year it is just too hot. I have been replacing most of my Austins for old garden roses or roses bred by Ralph Moore or Burling as I know they can take the heat.

Evelyn is gone. The bed she was in reverted back to rootstock. I loved her blooms when I got them, but it wasn't that often and she grew to be about 5 feet tall and the blooms on the very top. Jude the Obscure was the same and he turned an ugly beige color for his blooms which again were few and far between.

Peach Blossom did extremely well here but it is not available any longer.

I am growing Sharifa Asma in a pot with afternoon shade. I had her in a bed that reverted back to rootstock and she gave minimal blooms in that bed (other than in the spring). I am trying her again but she is still such a new baby that I can't comment on how she will be doing on her own root, in a pot with total afternoon shade.

Lady Emma Hamilton didn't live through our first heat wave, so she is gone.

Alnwick did OK--just OK. Grew tall and straight but I never got any scent from him and he is gone. He is being replaced by an old rose.

PA of K did great in my front yard with partial shade. I moved her to the back in full sun and she hated it there. She also hates moving. I moved her again and promised this was the last time and that she would love her new spot. She does, but she has full afternoon shade and is doing quite well (finally).

Emily does OK here but not a lot of bloom. She is no longer available.

I have Jubilee Celebration but she is less than a year old and in afternoon shade (in a pot), so I can't really comment on how she will do during the summer.

All of my DA roses are own root. I did not want to go through the revert to rootstock fiasco again. So take what I say with a grain of salt if you are going to have the DA roses on rootstock.

I find that the DA roses that have the Leander rose in its genetics tend to do better here with the heat. You cannot miss with either Pretty Jessica (she is amazing here) and Munstead. Munstead will turn fuchsia in the heat so be aware of what you plant next to him.

Like Mustbnuts, Pretty Jessica performs well in LV too. I did not think it was available??? The Austin rose that was a disaster for me was Heritage. Your climate will be cooler than mine and not as dry, so YMMV. Most of my D.A. roses are on Dr. Huey. The bud union is planted at least 2"-3" above the soil line, then mulch is added.

Sultry -- Right on both counts . . . Golden Celebration does very well here . . . BUT in order for it to "be best" it requires substantial water. Thus, it gets a lot of dishwater.

On that regime, G.C. is flourishing, even though airflow and light have been cut to the bone.

Oh, everyone should definitely get Peach Swirl if it will do well in your gardens. She's a power bloomer. Don't make me put up all my Peach Swirl x froggie pics lol.

Yes, like Ann said - drip irrigation!!!

I forgot I had a couple more. Mary Magdalene does very well in the heat here. She does much better than Sharifa Asma with a similar look. She is highly underrated. She stays small. She gets the brunt of the sun daily and just keeps on pumping out beautiful blooms with a great scent.

Sister Elizabeth did not do too well here. Floppy thing. I SP'd her.

I echo the drip irrigation advice. Changed my world.

i’m inland, about 30 miles north of LA. When I lived a bit closer in, Tamora was a champion: bloomed in the worst heat, stayed small, and always had a pleasant fragrance. Tess was just getting to be mature when I had to move.

i brought with me Munstead Wood and Darcey Bussell. They love it here. They put on a terrific spring flush.

I had Queen of Sweden at the old place, and she wasn’t bad, just not exceptional.Molineux was a winner in any conditions.

Glad you found a place!!

Sylvia

Drip irrigation for sure!!! In LV, and many warmer climates, mulch is a must too...

Wow this is the most helpful thread for me!!! Thank you so much !! I feel fortunate that the home already has irrigation and amended soil in the beds . Shade from palms and the gardens face south . Hope that’s good ?!

Whew ! That’s a big step I won’t have to do. I planned on saving what water I can too. Though i have no idea how lol

i am glad to know which ones become giants here. I don’t have much space so I really can’t bother with them. I was absolutely shocked to see Evelyn taller than my head and then some at Bob martins garden . Mine never got more than 4ft in Tennessee.

Since I am new to the climate I won’t even pretend to understand it all until I’ve lived here a bit. But I gather I should avoid the grafted roses ?! That’s interesting. I always thought reverting was a cold climate issues.

Lots to learn! I have visited another garden center today and I could have stayed all day . It was incredible the plants they had !! Not roses .. just weeks roses so I wasn’t too excited but plants in general were so neat .

Lilyfinch, I haven’t had a chance to comment on your move, so I want to wish you and your family all the best, and let you know that I will miss you being in my region so to speak. I always tried to take special note of your rose experiences. I know it must be hard to leave the garden you had invested so much energy in, but think, no blackspot!

Deborah, I also looked to see what Lilly Finch grew. However, I look to see what you grow also. :-)

Lily, First I just want to say I love this post and am already learning new tips. Grafted should be OK in SoCal. I have been avidly reading this forum and searching other places for everything I can learn about growing roses here since the fall. I write a note in a spreadsheet about the different roses that do well here and about the overall types that do well. Here is what I have gleaned so far. Hybrid Teas, Hybrid Perpetuals, Damask roses, and some Gallicas are thirsty roses. Bourbons and Hybrid Perpetuals are susceptible to disease, but Bourbons good in hot dry weather. Gallicas and Hybrid Musks are shade tolerant, but Gallicas not great in heat and need cold winter to bloom. Chinas and Teas do well and will go dormant in drought helping them survive neglect. Multifloras and Rugosas don’t like alkaline soil. Damask, Centifolia and Gallicas don’t like SoCal heat.

Rootstock: Fortuniana, Dr. Huey and Manetti good in SoCal. Also Pink Clouds that Burling uses. A lot of soil here is towards the alkaline side and so roses grafted to Multiflora might not do well if soil too alkaline. My soil pH is between 6.5 and 7.0

A thread from a few weeks ago for people that wanted Marechal Niel budded/grafted for better vigor. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/grafted-marechal-niel-update-dsvw-vd~5668373

All of my roses are on drip (including the ones in pots). I also mulch heavily and amend heavily as my soil was terrible when I moved here). The mulch will help with retaining water and reducing weeds. I put down at least three inches around my roses. Really important when it is hotter than Hades outside (116 F) and you are on water restrictions (I can only water on certain days and at certain times) plus we virtually get no rain between April to November (and lucky if we get any after that).

You may also want to check the alkalinity of your soil and water. My soil is alkaline but my water is worse. I end up putting a little acid fertilizer on my plants in early spring and the plants seem to love it.

Carding Mill in Central California two weeks ago.

Cressida, same time, same place.

Rick

Rick -- How old is that plant? I've seen Cressida as a very large climber.

Welcome to our part of the world, Lily. So glad you and your little girl arrived safely.

The first rose I'd recommend for you is Souvenir de la Malmaison, which blooms most of the year in my garden. I have two bushes of it and they have not grown into giants, they're easily managed and are not water hogs.

With climate change and hotter and dryer conditions here, I try to grow roses only in areas that receive afternoon shade. Drip watering and mulching are also two very important factors in having a manageable and beautiful garden filled with roses. I have only a few Austins at this stage, one of my oldest being Bishop's Castle, which I keep short and small by cutting the spent blooms back fairly hard. If you don't have lots of space the polyantha group would be a good one to investigate. International Herald Tribune is a gorgeous purple and Marie Pavie a lovely white little rose. Aunt Margy's Rose is another good one to try, lovely and fragrant lilac pink blooms with never any disease for me, not even mildew.

International Herald Tribune and Marie Pavie to the left of the frog column. They're both very healthy.

You can most definitely purchase grafted roses, Lily. Just be careful with multiflora until you know how that rootstock performs in your soil/conditions. The vast majority of my roses are own root because a lot of the OGR's are not available grafted and I do not mind and am able to baby bands in my climate. Some people gardening in cold climates have a preferenced due to temperatures, but for many warm climate rose growers, own root or grafted is simply a preference.

Desertgarden's right. Mind you know your soil and water before you deal with Multiflora. Alkaline conditions are where Multiflora goes to die.

You need to know where your water comes from, too. Ours is mostly from aquifers, and very very high in mineral salts (in addition to being alkaline). I've grown roses here on Multiflora, but that was a Learning Experience.

Hi Jeri,

I am not exactly certain of the age of the Cressida in the image. I seem to recall that it was about 2013 when John contacted me about sending wood from my mother plant to Hortico. So it would have been 2014 or 15 when he got the plant in California. It is a grafted plant as well, though his others are own root from this plant and are growing gang busters,

I am currently growing Cressida own root and training her as a short climber. The plants I grew in my Ontario garden were grown as shrubs much like in the image. As with many of the larger Austin Roses, training and pruning are everything when it comes to habit.

R

It's unclear.where in CA you have landed, but here is a list from the East Bay Rose Society of roses that grow well in our area, of course there.are a wide range of microclimates, I live in cooler Oakland, but we have members that live furthermore where it gets much hotter. http://www.eastbayroses.org/the-best-roses-for-the-east-bay/

I believe she is in Tecaluma. Near to San Diego.

I think distance AND climate-wise, you can’t go wrong with Ingrid’s suggestions. She’s not that far inland from me, but she lacks the slight costal influence that I get in San Marcos. It’s usually just a little cooler at my place, than hers. She doesn’t get quite the marine moisture that often hangs around at this time of year. It’s not rain, but nighttime fog, and mist that I get a bit more of than Ingrid. Her altitude is also higher than mine. That causes some rose blooms to fry while they don’t do so here. I also have some shade, something many roses will appreciate in the afternoons. Lisa

I'm sure it's very tempting to fill the yard with roses and other plants, but it might be better to proceed slowly at first. Of course I didn't, and made a lot of mistakes that I now very much regret. Lily, if you have the time it would be helpful if you could take photos of your planting areas.