I would say so, too!

How old is your Stiletto?

I'm assuming you do not have black spot issues there in CA, so asking about Stiletto's ability to fight black spot seems irrelevant, but I am asking anyway, in case you are growing your roses in a warm humid micro climate where black spot pressure is high. Any light shed on this question is much appreciated.

How about the bush's growth habit? Is Stiletto typical for a hybrid tea, columnar with most blooms,on the upper 1/3 of the bush, having noticeable 'naked knees,' at soil level?

Thanks for any perspectives you can offer. I really like Stiletto.

Moses.

@Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & hot-humid S, z6, Hm… I believe I bought Stiletto as a small rooted cutting from a backyard gardener in 2024. I had read that this variety was good on its own roots. I don’t really grow HTs, but it was only $5, so I thought what the heck, I’ll take a whirl.

Stiletto’s leaves are of good substance, and she does have the typical HT silhouette, wanting to grow in that upright, V-shape characteristic of HTs, with blooms presented at the top. Despite still being a small plant (its in a container, in partial shade) the flowers have been palm-sized.

As for blackspot, I do see BS in my garden. Mostly, in the moist transition to spring, when the high nitrogen fertilizer I use after pruning makes for a ton of tender leaves and the weather becomes fickle with temps in the 80’s but still a lot of moisture and cold nights in the mid 40/50’s F.

Re: Stiletto getting BS. I’ve seen it, but not en masse. It’s not like how Golden Celebration can get defoliated at its base. Here in SoCal, we also get rust. But I attribute this to my yard staying moist from the marine layer soaking into the fluffy cedar mulch I use, contrasted with the air being dry. I have seen a touch of rust on Stiletto.

My gut feeling is that it’s too early to judge this plant. I think its immunity could improve as it gets bigger and starts throwing out thick basal canes, which it hasn't done in the pot. I think that its health is average in my garden. However, my conditions are zone 10a compared to your zone 6. For comparison, my cleanest rose is Julia Child, but she is also planted in a choice East-facing spot with ample air circulation, and warmth from a wall.

I do like Stiletto’s color a lot; it’s very vivid and doesn’t blue like red roses often do. Good luck with your decision, Moses!

Thank you for giving such an in-depth evaluation of Stiletto. I hope it becomes one of your favorite roses. That electrifying color nuance is a rare take on red. Stiletto is on my short list. My next evictee could be replaced by it.

Moses.

Hey Moses! i got my mother this rose.. she stuck it in a pot in super sunny and humid southwest florida. it does get some blackspot but not a lot. keep in mind she literally does nothing no prunning no refreshing no fertilizing. she does water it and it still blooms. I could only imagine if it actually had some tlc

Thanks, Sophia. Mom's got it right, no fuss=success. That's a good lesson to me.

Moses.

Roselady,

I will start looking for the nicest container grown Stiletto that i can find online. A bare root is tricky with me because when it comes, at that time I may not be able to get outdoors to plant it in a good time frame, either in a pot or in the ground.

Moses.

@Rosylady (PNW zone 8), Thank you for your kind words. :) It’s great to read that Stiletto performs well in very different zones!

Sending you good vibes that this will be the year your Stiletto leaps!

Both on Amazon and at Wal-Mart online, Heirloom is selling Stiletto at $58.00, free delivery, unlike their main store price + shipping fee. Looks like Amazon is the best deal from the standpoint of customer satisfaction issues handled liberally by Amazon, at least that's been my experience.

Straight from Heirloom, Stiletto's $53.00 + $19.00 shipping = $72.00! Ouch!

Moses.

Boy would I like to hear from someone who grows Stiletto where summers are warm and very humid as it is here, and black spot is a major negative.

Moses.

Sadly my Stiletto got so much black spot that I had to get rid of it . It was from Heirloom Roses and was in the ground for a couple of years . It did bloom a lot though .

Pink Rose,

Oh boy, not what I wanted to hear. I think Stiletto will have to be nixed. So disappoint! 😞

Moses.

Moses

You can try it as it is doing good in some zones . I am in black spot country ! our humidity is around 90 % most of the year in Central FL .

Black spot reigns here, Pink Rose. The good reports seem to be from dry summer locations. Another beautiful rose that I can only admire but not grow gets put aside, sad for me.

Moses.

@Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & hot-humid S, z6

I've had my Stiletto here in the Pacific Northwest for four years (this will be its fifth year this season) and it gets a tiny bit of blackspot, but I've never had to treat it--even when roses around it have a lot of blackspot. I also love it's shape. It doesn't grow straight up like so many HT's...the form is nice, a bit rounded, just lovely. The foliage is also beautiful--deep purple red to green, shiny, but not obnoxiously so. The blooms are consistently large and lovely no matter the time of year. I only really detect fragrance on it in the fall. But otherwise, it's actually one of the best performing roses out of the 50 I have.

Not the best pic, but it does show a color comparison of Stiletto and Rouge Royale in our current weather.

I had this rose grafted since 2024 but I am getting rid of it this year. It never grew and stayed below 2ft. It had a lot of black spots. It only had one rose for the past two years and gets dieback every winter.

That's a shame, Omar. High hopes dashed.....now you have to start from, 'square one,' in that spot where Stiletto grew. Frustrations are the name of the game where growing roses in a colder zone, and where black spot pressure is intense, go hand in hand to severely limit varieties grown which thrive under such conditions.

Moses.