Zone 5 rose growing - winter survival rates

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Hi everyone, been away for a few months during winter with work stuff, and plan a move to the west coast for work, but wanted to share a list of my roses that I planted last year and their survival rates. I'm in zone 5B in upstate NY and planted a ton of roses last year (with the help of everyone here) and it seems they've all survived pretty well. All I did for winter protection in January was dump some leaves and alfalfa hay on them, but not too high up. I'd say a couple inches and left the rest bare.

Here is a list of each type for anyone interested in trying them in cold zones :)

3 ft. cane or more survived:

-Westerlands - surprised the two I planted survived to the tips. I'd say a good 8 ft survived and growing fast.

-New Dawns

-Crown Princess Margareta

-Strawberry Hill

-Colettes

-Bathshebas

-Graham Thomas

-The Pilgrim

-Imogen

-Julia Child

-Moonlight in Paris

3 ft or less:

-Jubilee Celebration

-Carding Mill

-Olivia Austin

-Claire Austin

Hope this helps any cold zoners interested in these roses! I had to put all of my rose planting plans for this season on hold, until I move to CA.....but I'm looking forward to trying a lot of new roses there. Here's one of my Bathsheba photos from last year. I'll try to post photos in a month or so when they start blooming. Hope you all had a great winter!

Featured Answer

Bc _zone10b
Original Author

5 years ago

@mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY) - No idea how cold, I was wrapped up in too much work stuff and didn't really pay as much attention as I should have, but I get tons of icy winds (up on hill) and thought most of them would need to be cut to the ground. Hopefully this just helps anyone interested in trying these kinds and they'll have some good luck. I did plant them all extra deep last year though, so maybe that helped too.

@Kristine LeGault 8a pnw Thanks for the good wishes! Excited to move to CA. I've never left the east coast so it will be interesting to see what I can grow there :) Hopefully I'll have roses out there and maybe find some new types too. Not taking any of my plants no, but it will be nice to start fresh and try some other types I would never have grown here.

@our_md_garden Zone 7A NE That one is Bathsheba which ranges from a nice orangey salmon color to pinks and then yellows as it fades. I think it's my favorite David Austin I've grown in the one year I had them all :)

@joeywyomingzone4 - You're welcome! No guarantees since everyone's garden sites are different, but I figured hopefully it will help other cold zoners give some a try, especially since I didn't get to protect them at all besides some alfafa hay and leaves at their bases.

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Comments (8)

mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
5 years ago
And exactly how cold did you get last winter? I'm near Kingston, and I'm not sure we got below 5F. I know we didn't go below zero. I've got things coming up in my yard I haven't seen in decades, like hardy cyclamen. The early crocus went crazy. I thought they were dying out, but there were at least three times as many blooming this year as last.

The only grade you can give after a winter like the one we had is an incomplete.
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
5 years ago
B, oh boy if you can do that in zone 5 think of the paradise you will be able to create in California. No break in the winter though.

I kind of think that would be better because you can keep on top of the weeds and not have to start from scratch every spring.

Are you taking anything with you ?

Best wishes on the move and new job
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our_md_garden Zone 7A NE
5 years ago
This is so helpful! Which rose is pictured? It’s simply gorgeous.
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
5 years ago
I believe she said Bathsheba. What a stunner!
joeywyomingzone4
5 years ago
Thanks for sharing your experiences!! It's always great to hear what other cold-zoners are doing and it makes shopping so much easier when there is information available about exactly how much cane survives.
strawchicago z5
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
B _zone5b Fantastic info. about winter-survival. Thanks for keeping us posted. Of those less than 3 feet, which ones are own-roots? heard the news that Roses Unlimited will have to STOP selling own-root Austin roses soon (not their choice), so I'm checking to see which own-root Austins will least likely to survive my zone 5 winter, before making my buy-list from RU. Thanks for info. about which ones below are own-roots?

3 ft or less:

-Jubilee Celebration

-Carding Mill

-Olivia Austin

-Claire Austin
MiGreenThumb (Z5b S.Michigan/Sunset 41) Elevation: 1091 feet
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Thanks for the write-up!

I barely had more surviving cane this winter on average versus previous winters even though overall it was milder than usual.

However, that being said- we did get down to around -15*F several times during the week we got our snow and everyone was carrying on about "polar vortex" when in reality for places where I live, it was a week of NORMAL winter weather.

Most of my roses are in the 8" to 2.5' range and I saw NO damage until our "normal" weather in February, but I feel that most of it was sun scald and desiccation once it turned cold, windy, and then the sun came out because the canes only had damage facing the south towards the sun. Most hybrid teas down to within three to five inches. Completely typical.

Chicago Peace demonstrated this effect the most clearly with the cane on the north and shaded side plump and green, but the south sunny side was withered and browing.

My conclusion? Our one week of normal winter weather for the area gave me practically the same results as the whole season being that way, and because of that, conclusions can comfortably be made.

Steven