I doubt that any nursery sells cuttings, and there may also be restrictions on being able to bring back any live plant material. Here in the US we're not allowed to buy roses from Europe, and vice versa, because of the risk of importing diseases or plant pests. That may also apply to your locality.

I understand; thank you.

Hi Mel,
Yeah, as Ingrid said, you will need to find out from your local authorities what you can bring home. But I wanted to add that in the Caribbean hybrid tea roses aren't your only option. There are, among others, antique tea roses (different from hybrid teas -- really large bushes or climbers with pendant flowers) that grow there very well. Here is a link to a page about antique roses in Bermuda: http://rosesinbermuda.com/?page_id=31. I'm not sure what part of the Caribbean you are in, but you may be able to find local rose growers who will let you take cuttings of antique plants -- or just make note of plants you are interested in as you see them, and ask their owners for permission to take a cutting.

Thanks for the link K S; I looked but didn't see anything that looks like David Austin type roses...I'm actually in Trinidad btw. I've been begging local shops to see if they would considering importing them, but it appears the cost is too much for them. I would have try to bring in one myself however the cost of importing along with the phytosanitary certificate is a lot for one rose...

U.S. regulations are likewise draconian. And that's so frustrating!

I've had to come to terms with the fact that there are roses in the U.K., Europe, and Australia that I will just never be able to own.

Just an update everyone. So I met this local vendor who says she imported David Austin Roses and had young own root plants for sale.

She sent me these two pictures and said although they don't currently look like the "old english rose" shape, as they mature they will.

Can you take a look at the photos and give me your advise please. The cream one looks like a regular hybrid tea rose to me...

What seems "draconian" just may be anything but. Europe has the Asian Long Snout Beetle which was imported and has spread throughout much of the continent. Our "draconian" measures of not permitting material greater than 10mm in diameter are meant to prevent spreading this damaging pest to the US. The larvae can hide and travel in material thicker than 10mm, hence that size limit. Yes, it prevents us from obtaining roses we so dearly want, but it also prevent us from losing many other plants and crops to something we don't want and certainly don't need. Europe has similarly "draconian" measures in place in hopes of preventing US from sending THEM RRD. Australia has their own "draconian" measures in place which now even prevent us from sending rose pollen and seeds unless the sender is a professional source, inspected and regulated by the Dept of Agriculture. It seems THEY are picky and also don't want US to share RRD and Chilli Thrips with them, among other "inconveniences".

I do not know how well David Austin roses may grow in your climate. If you want that "David Austin" look but something that works well where you live, I would try the old roses that have done well in your environment. A lot of the DA roses don't do well with heat and may be a fungal disease magnet with your humid/tropical weather. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings. I have been slowly moving away from DA roses as they just don't do great in my environment. A lot of the antique roses do great here, however, and don't require the babying that a lot of the DA roses seem to require to thrive here.

I would also agree with the statement above regarding importing plant materials. I know, I know! I want several roses that I flat out can't get here, but I also have seen the Asian citrus psyllid that was imported by a person who had shipped several infected plants to him/herself from Asia without going through proper channels. We now have to watch for Huanglongbing disease as it can devastate our citrus industry here in CA and there is no cure for this disease. The folks in Florida can attest to what has happened to their citrus industry in the past several years due to imported bugs.

I understand the importance of the regulations and restictions put in place by the various countries to prevent the spread of pests and disease, though it makes my heart ache.

mustnuts, yes, the vendor did mention to me that she's been having a hard time with them (the DA), Any recommendations in relation to the antique roses?

Mel La, Wikipedia says the lowest ever recorded temp in Trinidad is 12C/54F. This means there are classes of roses that won’t bloom for you since they need winter chill. Chinas, Noisettes and Teas (Not Hybrid Teas, those are different) don’t need winter chill to bloom and will bloom year round. Also, I think, maybe Bourbons do well in hot climates. Also have you looked into the breeding program at Texas A&M? Maybe someone there could direct you to roses that do well in hot humid climates. Texas is hot and humid.
https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/rose/index.html.

Check the import requirements and paperwork for Trinidad, and then armed with that information, you may be able to get roses shipped from a vendor here in USA if you pay the import fees. The vendors that sell Chinas, Noisettes and Teas and which are also located in relatively hot humid climates are https://antiqueroseemporium.com https://rosesunlimitedsc.com https://www.chambleeroses.com http://petalsfromthepast.com/catalog/roses.html https://www.rosepetalsnursery.com http://www.angelgardens.com https://www.areverenceforroses.com

Thanks Stephanie, for the info.

Yeah, Trinidad has two basically extreme conditions/seasons, extreme dry heat and excessive rainfall.

I did look into the process here. You can apply for an import license free of charge but importation must be from a vendor who can provide a phytosanitary certificate.

With regards to getting it into Trinidad, I contacted my Florida based freight forwarding company but they do not ship in any kind of plant material.

So my 2 hiccups at this point are locating a supplier that will provide the certificate (and at a reasonable cost) along with finding a shipping company.

But I'm looking into it.

I use World Courier when shipping biological materials to our collaborators in Australia from the University where I work. The scientists in Australia email me the import paperwork to be included with the package. Australia is probably the most stringent in the world for biological imports. The only reason we use World Courier and not FedEx is they will keep adding dry ice to our package during transit and also if the package is held in customs for any length of time. Of course they charge a premium for this dry ice service, but that wouldn’t be needed for plants. Maybe a few blue ice packs would be good if the roses got held in a hot customs receiving dock for a few days though?
https://www.worldcourier.com

Also I just remembered, Antique Rose Emporium, located in Texas, mentioned to me on the phone about the paperwork they put together for sending roses to California. I don’t know if they called it a “phytosanitary certificate” though. California does have a lot of restrictions on shipping plants here from other states in the USA. I recommend to contact them first. They also have a wonderful selection of roses that do well in hot humid climates.

Steph gave you some great advice. Unfortunately, my climate is different than yours as we do get below freezing in the winter (sometimes) and we don't have the humidity in the summer but we do get very, very hot. So, I can't really recommend any old rose varieties for you as what grows for me probably would not do well for you. However, there are old rose nurseries in Florida and you may be able to ask their advice about certain roses that would work in your climate.

Angel Gardens

http://www.angelgardens.com/

Rose Petal Nursery

https://www.rosepetalsnursery.com/

Super ecstatic to report that my local garden supplier heard my pleas and brought in some new rose varieties.

I picked up these 3 fragrant beauties this evening:

The only thing is, she could not tell me their names, but I think apricot one sort of looks like a Roald Dahl.

I'll report on how they perform here later on.

MeLa, I am so glad you were able to get some more varieties! Did she know anything about them? Are they for sure David Austin roses or could they be anything? Strange to import roses and not know what you are getting. I wonder who the supplier is? That could help you figure out what rose it is.

Thanks Stephanie.

The thing is this shop tends to order several roses at once and then mass produces own root roses for sale without labelling. So the approach is usually one of searching through the garden for open blooms in order to find any particular rose.

Will speak with her some more about them but local retailers tend to be a bit tight lipped about their suppliers.

MelLa -- Let me second the suggestion of contacting The Antique Rose Emporium.
https://antiqueroseemporium.com/

ARE specializes in Old Roses, and being as they are sited north of Houston, TX, they may have a good handle on what roses might best succeed for you.

Also, they will probably be able to explain the process of acquiring a phytosanitary certificate (I don't know whether they can do it or not). And they're good folks to deal with, too.

You'll find that they offer many roses that have the same "look" as the Austin roses ... because the Austin roses were created to look like "Old Garden Roses." If nothing else, I think you'll enjoy the website.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and feedback.

On my recent trip to London I visited the Hampton Court flower show and spoke with a rep in the David Austin booth. Whilst they said they did not ship internationally from their UK store, they recommended I call their main office for possible suppliers in the US.

I was also able to secure one other rose locally as well, though the name they could not provide; I love it so much and it's smells lovely. It seems to be doing well thus far.

I have attached 2 photos of it's blooms.

I did fall in love with 2 other roses recently for their fragrance, the Queen of Sweden and Souvenir du Dr Jamain, so I will consult the resources you've suggested for them.

Thanks for the update. Beautiful red rose! Did they say if it was an Austin, or is even that not known?

Thank you Stephanie; sadly I couldn't even get that info from the plant shop. For some reason plants shops here focus very little on names when it comes to roses. Maybe enough customers are not demanding that info as roses have a fast turnaround here.

All the same, Austin or not, I love it