How thorny is Viking Queen?

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

I am now strongly considering Viking Queen as a climber on my arbor by the garden.
How bad are her thorns? I know that one of her parents is New Dawn and this fact makes me worried. It will be a high traffic area with kids. I think I can handle some thorns but I don't have any experience with growing and pruning a thorny climbing rose.
Otherwise, I will go with Zephirine Drouhin and James Galway.Thank you!

Featured Answer

Patrick-7a-MD

4 years ago

Awakening and New Dawn are a BEAST! Think JAWS (great white shark) in plant form. Same goes for Colonial White (Sombreuil). All the wichurana climbers are hateful, thorny monsters that will eat children, or anybody else that gets too close. The only climber worse is Mermaid, which IMHO should be renamed Leviathan.

Viking Queen is an angry, fallen, warrior rose from Niflheim. Don't be fooled by photographs. I too thought it was a "moderately thorny" climber and made the mistake of planting it by my MIL's front porch. The intention was for it to climb up and around the porch. It was a total disappointment. Not only did the big thorns scratch her EVERY TIME but it never had the vigor to climb own root in USDA Zone 6a, the same as yours. It stayed a medium shrub in her garden. It did have gorgeous, wonderfully scented blooms, but so do a lot a pink roses that aren't so bloodthirsty. I was asked to remove it. For a pink rose she makes do with Belinda's Dream and Marie Daly, and has annual climbing vines for the porch.

For a pink climbing rose in Zone 6a, I recommend KATHLEEN HARROP, the light pink sport of Zéphirine Drouhin. It is stronger than the rose it sported from with better disease resistance, remontancy (repeat bloom), and vigor on its own roots. No thorns either. Nada, Zip, not a one. You could grab a cane, hug it close, and bury your face in a bloom, inhaling the incredible fragrance, and not get pricked once.

Kathleen Harrop at HelpMeFind Roses

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Comments (9)

rosesmi5a
4 years ago
It is a great dependable rose. Not that thorny -- nothing like ND. Disease free for the most part, fragrant, steady bloomer, hardy.

I have James Galway too -- not as hardy, stiffer canes (harder to artfully arrange), not fragrant to my nose. Hardy, and fairly disease resistant too, but I wouldn't replace it if it died.

Z. Drouhin -- I've tried twice; does not overwinter well for me.
Yulia_6a_Michigan thanked rosesmi5a
Yulia_6a_Michigan
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you Rosesmi5a!

I like that Viking Queen is hardy and blooms well and fragrant.

I am also going back and forth on Peggy Martin and Reine des Violettes. I am happy to be down to 5 roses on my originally very long list!
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Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
4 years ago
i need to answer you're message, but VQ is a great rose. I hae three and all are wonderful. Its moderately thorny and will climb for me althoughmine is on a low support.
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chris209 (LI, NY Z7a)
4 years ago
I don 't have New Dawn but I do have Awakening which should be the same, being a sport of ND.

Thorns of Awakening.

And thorns of Viking Queen.

Viking Queen looks to have fewer thorns, but they seem larger to me.
Yulia_6a_Michigan thanked chris209 (LI, NY Z7a)
Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
4 years ago
I have multiples of all three and think Awakening is the thorniest of the bunch inith New Dawn falling somewhere between the other two having fewer of the small internodal thorns.
Yulia_6a_Michigan thanked Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
Yulia_6a_Michigan
Original Author
4 years ago
Chris209 thank you!!! Your pictures are super helpful and exactly what I was looking for! I couldn't find any close ups in HMF.

The thorns on Awakening are very impressive. Yikes! Viking Queen looks friendlier!
lizzieswellness
4 years ago
Viking Queen appears to have fewer thorns, but they appear to be larger to me. The thorns on Awakening are spectacular. Viking Queen appears to be friendlier!
Yulia_6a_Michigan thanked lizzieswellness
jacqueline9CA
4 years ago
In a "high traffic area with kids", I think you would be best off re-reading Patrick's advice - just MO.

Jackie
Yulia_6a_Michigan thanked jacqueline9CA