Question about 'Snowdrift'

last year

last modified: last year

I waited a long time for Nature Hills to deliver my hardy, repeat-blooming white rose 'Snowdrift'. It took about 9 months, so I was pretty frustrated, but I do believe that the repeated delays were weather related and therefore not their fault.

Now I have it, and it seems to have a fair amount of blackspot. That is quite a surprise. I select my roses for high disease resistance because I do not want to spray. My philosophy is that if a rose needs to be sprayed to do well, I'll grow a differnt rose. Formerly I lived in a dry climate (California) and I am still living in a dry climate (Colorado) so I rarely even see blackspot. 'Snowdrift' is listed on HMF as being very disease resistant, especially to blackspot.

It was shipped from Alabama, a notoriously humid state. My full respect goes to the brave rose growers who battle the climate there. Should I conclude that the disease was a remnant of climate, and that Snowdrift ought to do well here?

I clipped off the infected leaves (about 90% of all leaves) and put the pot in the bright sun to make as much photosynthesis as it can and recover. I won't plant it in the garden until I am sure that it no longer carries any infection. Is there anything else I ought to do?

Featured Answer

mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)

last year

When I got a rose covered with rust from Vintage, all I did was strip the leaves. I'd never seen rust before, and have never seen it since. It's the sort of thing where if it is a problem, you'll get it anyway, and if it isn't a problem, stripping the leaves will solve it.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Ingrid_vc zone 9b, San Diego Co. inland
last year
last modified: last year
There are at least three roses on HMF named Snowdrift. Which one do you have? To answer your question it's very possible that the blackspot is a remnant of its previous home or from being boxed up for some time. I'd adopt a wait and see attitude, and most probably your plant will be just fine. I wouldn't put it in the bright sun just at first but slowly move it from lightly shaded to the sun over a period of days.
rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)
last year
It’s Ping’s BAIrift, Ingrid.
Rosefolly z5 thanked rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ)
Related Professionals
Mobile Landscape Contractors · Wichita Landscape Contractors · San Antonio Landscape Contractors · Petersburg Landscape Contractors · Altoona Landscape Contractors · Flagstaff Landscape Contractors · Lynchburg Home Builders · Lebanon Home Builders · Georgetown Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Denver Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Marinette Landscape Contractors · Vicksburg Home Builders · Lansing Home Builders · Omaha Home Builders · Dodge City Home Builders
nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
last year
All I can say is that in my garden, the BAIrift Snowdrift is extremely BS resistant and doesn't lose any leaves to speak of all season. There may be different strains of BS in Alabama vs. where you are, so maybe that's the difference. Colorado is more like Nebraska in the strains so I would expect that it'll recover once it gets the sunshine.

There also could be some BS from being trapped in a box for a while from Alabama in the humid heat. I think that's one of the reasons Heirloom defoliates their roses so that they grow new ones on arrival and don't look shabby out of the box.

Just my input - watch and wait is a good idea.

Cynthia
Rosefolly z5 thanked nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & hot-humid S, z6
last year
Can you verify that it is Snowdrift by any blooms it has produced?

Moses.
Rosefolly z5
Original Author
last year
Moses, it is white rose. I am assuming it is the right one, no reason to doubt at this point.

Ingrid and Rifis, yes, that is the one.

Nippstress, I will assume then that stripping leaves is all I needed to do. I never had a rose arrive with BS before, but then I never got a rose from Alabama before either!