Hate the name. How could they name one after anyone in that family? Ugh.

It's the same reason I didn't buy Roald Dahl even though I love the look of the rose 😔 I felt like every time I looked at it I would think of the awful things about the man and I would never enjoy the rose 100%

Also I highly doubt they will rename it if they haven't done so already. It's not like we're just now discovering such things about the Sacklers.

Me too! I’ve heard teally good things about Roald Dahl the rose but I can’t get past Roald Dahl the human. I didn’t know about Mortimer Sackler until after I planted him last year-I know, I must have been living under a rock.

When he bloomed I was like oh, he’s pretty in an unpretentious way and was very pleased.

Then I got a queasy feeling in my stomach…

I'm on the team of "if you're not going to really love this rose, it doesn't need to take up a spot in your garden". If your association with the namesake of the rose is going to steal your joy of it, I'm sure their are countless other stunning roses you could grow instead. Especially in your zone. I loved the look of Roald Dahl but it could never have been beautiful enough for me to forget what I know about the namesake. And it's not like these roses have other names other than AUSwhatever so it's kind of impossible not to think about it. Now I have many other beautiful roses instead and I don't regret not having RD.

I dont know the history of the Sacklers but I wont plant a rose named after someone that I dont like

That is the problem with naming roses after people

I think that it is the rose Beloved that was originally Ceasar Chavez. And for some reason Diana Princess of Wales became Elegant Lady

.

If you hate the name and renaming it doesnt take, get rid of it.

The name *could* be changed when the patent runs out, which should be next year or the next, as it was introduced in 2002. But the right to name this rose was auctioned off by Austin to benefit The National Trust, to raise funds for their gardens. The naming right was bought by Theresa Sackler for her husband’s birthday (he died about five years later). So Austin didn't *actually* name this rose, and didn't have any choice as to who won the auction for the rights.

I agree wholeheartedly about the evil association with the family name. They basically fueled the opioid crisis all by themselves, with help from doctors who indiscriminately handed out endless prescriptions from their pill mills...which the Sacklers encouraged, or at least looked the other way. There's definitely a proper use for oxycontin, but the Sacklers just didn't CARE it was killing people who became addicted.

If you love the rose, but hate the name, I'd just use the registered name of AUSorts. Sound silly, but beats using the Sackler name, lol.

John

I got this rose years ago - I had literally no idea who the Sacklers were, I thought he was just some guy. Ugh, when I found out!!! But it is a really good rose, a profuse bloomer with pretty reddish stems, no disease, and beautiful flowers. It's not the plants fault it was named after somebody gross. So yeah, you could just call it AUSorts, or whatever you like. It would be great, though, if it could be officially renamed, because it is a really nice rose that doesn't deserve to be saddled with that association!

Great information Fig. I wasnt sure how that name was chosen

Poor rosr saddled with a yukky name

Not the roses fault

I read that Prince Charles requested that the name ’Diana Princess of Wales’ not be used, so J&P changed the rose to ’Elegant Lady’. My question is how did J&P know it was really The Prince? If Prince Charles tried to contact me, I’d be 100% sure it’s a prank, and next he’d want me to buy an extended car warranty.

If you really love the rose and want to grow it, with a breeder's name like AUSorts you could nickname it Allsorts as in licorice allsorts candy to refer to it in your garden?

Ben, supposedly, something like a rose can be named, Princess Diana, but the title, Diana, Princess of Wales cannot be used for these purposes. Diana gave up that title during the divorce. There is a Princess Diana clematis, I'm sure, and dear old Prince Charles won't object to that. Diane

I don't know if I can forget the name is the problem I face. For example, I have the rose Royal Dane/Troika that I call Troika simply because I like the sound of it better and I know it is both.

Even if I change the name, in my head I will know who it really is. Which is why I really want DA to change the name because I DO like the rose and it’s not its fault. Only time will tell if I can get past the name.

It is odd to me that so many roses have multiple names but not DA’s

Diane,

Do you think he would have objected to ’Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall’? I am bad. But you know that.

heehee...no, Ben. You're *good*. That's all I'm saying :D

I think something like "the ugly one" is not the same as the name of a detestable real life person. Also, that shot of AL is fantastic.

Thank you Magpie. I have learned that there are certain things in life that we have no control over, and a rose name could be one of those. If a rose looks extraordinary, just call it with its registered name or give it your own nickname.

As Mortimer Sackler rose goes, I think it's a beautiful rose, but I don't think it's extraordinary. If it was me, I would skip it because there are more beautiful roses with better names. Helen

Then there are roses that you desperately wish to grow because they're named for a person you idolize, but they are not suited to your garden, sigh dear Julia Child.

Helen - your roses always look unbelievably GORGEOUS!! I don't know how you do it...but they're incredible!!

I didn't know that about M. Sackler. I like Joey's idea of naming it Allsorts!!

Thank you Carol. California weather is kind to roses as long as we are willing to give the roses plenty of water. Water is expensive so I gave my favorite roses plenty of water, and the ”like” roses just get enough water to survive when it’s not raining. Helen

So many thoughts regarding things named after less-than-savory figures, aren't there! Like all too many businesses, the Sacklers cared for money only and apparently, even more doctors AGREED with the practice, which is the most horrifying part to me. We can see this happening repeatedly through history, and no amount of government intervention can stop the evil of human greed, or loopholes to exploit.

Like thalidomide in Europe. The West German government even approved it as an over-the-counter! The maker insisted it was safe. It was sold for five years before the maker Grunenthal reported "suspected" dangers. Thankfully, the drug was never FDA approved in the U.S., but there were "clinical trials" and at least 17 thalidomide effected babies were born in the U.S., possibly more!

I'm definitely with fig_insanity in my thought lines regarding the opioid epidemic.

Question to Ponder: How much can we put faith in government itself when our own CIA was involved with drug supplying and trafficking?

Steven

That opioid epidemic is/was horrible. I never understood how everyone did not know it would end in disaster. I know there were many M.D.s who resisted this terrible misstep. It seemed so obviously a trap to me, I never really understood how everyone did not see this coming.

A few years ago I broke my arm, and it was just astonishing to me how vigorously the doctors who treated me were pushing the oxycontin. My prescription for it was filled before I even left the office, and the physicians assistant told me to be sure to start taking it right away, BEFORE I experienced any pain. This struck me as insanity - why would I take a pain killer when I hadn’t experienced any pain? Maybe I never would experience any significant pain - why not wait and see how it goes? And why start with the big guns? My feeling was, if I felt bad pain, I’d start with Tylenol or something and see if that did the trick. I was actually highly motivated to NOT take any oxycontin, because I’d used it after a previous surgery, and it did horrible things to my digestion. In fact, during the whole experience of my broken arm, I never took any oxycontin at all. If I moved the arm it hurt, so I just didn’t move it unless I was doing my PT (during which I just put up with it.). And it all worked out fine. But every single checkup, the first thing the dr would ask was if I needed a refill on the oxycontin! I thought it was kind of shocking, given the opioid epidemic issue.

Not all Drs are like this, Bc. I know I was not. There are many Drs and hospitals actually trying to help people. These are some bad apples and it is very sad.

@Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR My fault for sounding like I was grouping all doctors and healthcare together! So sorry about that and never meant to offend you. I was more referring to the doctors I've read about in articles about Purdue and the Sacklers. Again, never meant to offend any healthcare workers, especially at a time like this where they are our true heroes. I deleted my comment because I wrote it with a bit too much anger after seeing this thread about the Sacklers. That all hits close to home for me so I should have clarified better, sorry about that.

Thank you, Bc.

That doesn't happen here...at least I've never heard of it...doctors pushing the Oxy. That's terrible!

If anyone is interested, there's a wonderful miniseries called Dopesick on Hulu about the opioid epidemic. It shows how a lot of doctors were misled by the drug reps. Although by now they should know better.

Though I dislike the name, I wouldn't let it stop me from growing the rose. I can separate the two things. Maybe DA can change it at some point. Many museums have taken the Sackler name down.

-Chris

I guess your request is granted?

Mortimer Spackler is now listed as Mary Delaney on the Austin website USA.

Steven

Yes and I am so excited! Nee name tag already made and plopped in the ground!

It is a lovely rose with good healthy blue-green foliage which really sets off the dainty pink flowers. I have grown it as a large shrub for at least 15 years