On the one hand, my Pope John Paul II was magnificent, and on the other hand, it was a dud.

This is a strange tale, listen up...

When I first heard of PJP II, I started researching it intently to see if it would be a good candidate for adding to my garden. The first thing I discovered about it was that it was a poor grower on its own roots in a colder zone. All that were available locally were own root. I finally got a grafted one, probably grafted onto Dr. Huey, not certain though. Into the ground it went, and at the front of the border so I could enjoy its blooms close up.

Enjoy I did! PJP II was a blooming machine, almost nonstop, but it was a wimpy grower for me. Wimpy grower, but not a wimpy bloomer. How such a puny bush could produce such lavishly beautiful, large, and abundant blooms, although weak necked, is beyond me. In 6 years it never got over 18" tall, and never made one single basal growth ever (the life blood of any rose bush). The 2 basal canes it came with grew laterals, upon laterals, upon laterals, upon laterals, on and on, never once forcing up basal growth from its crown.

I winter protected my Pope John Paul II during its first couple years. Its last 3-4 years it got no winter protection and was pretty much tip hardy! We get -5°F, maximum lows here, and PJP II took it in stride.

Unfortunately, PJP II was shovel pruned this past spring because it is a bad black spotter here if not sprayed, which I regularly did until just recently when I decided to try a no-spray program. This involved (still not done), removing all black spotters, and replacing them with black spot free/resistant bushes which are getting more and more available these days.

When I removed PJP II the root stock had made no additional roots, just fine feeder roots off its chopped off anchor roots that it came with. It was not a body bag rose. It came from a reputable nursery. I hate it when roots are chopped off. Maybe this is why it grew so strangely. The 'trunk,' of the root stock essentially did not increase in diameter in 6 years. All below ground growth looked just about the same as it did the day I planted it!

Hope your PJP II keeps making progress for you.

Moses