Ian,

I think you got to the head of the class lickity split, being in roses for only 2 years!

There isn't a person who reads this post and views your shots of Queen Mary 2, who will not further investigate this remarkable looking rose.

This is what may be behind your QM2's lack of vigor:

You may find that in your zone 6, Western Kentucky locale, unless a rose is grafted upon Rosa multiflora, it will not grow as vigorously as it could have. The chances that your QM2 is grafted upon Dr. Huey root stock are pretty strong. Any tags you saved of this magnificent rose may shed light upon its root stock's name. I don't know anybody who can look at a grafted rose and tell what root stock it is growing upon.

I have only one grafted rose among my ~60 bushes. It is True Devotion, a Ping Lim True Bloom line bush. It is probably grafted upon a Dr. Huey root stock, because it is just not growing vigorously. In my climate, similar to yours (but you have far richer native soil in W. Kentucky, than me here in W. Pennsylvania, with topsoil thin, hard yellow clay sub-topsoil), Dr. Huey grafted roses languish. R. multiflora grafted roses shine.

Moses.

@Moses - Thank you for the words. I really appreciate it. But it would be selfish of me to say I didn't learn a lot from all the people here on this forum.

If I had to guess it's most likely Dr.Huey. Almost all root stocks here are him and usually if they put out root stock suckers just look at the stipules for Multiflora traits.

That said, I've tried to propagate this rose but I'm. . . Let's just say I'm not good at propagating at ALL. Sweet Potatos are all I'm good at propagating LOL.

I really need to somehow get better at propagating

Here are some more pictures I just took of Queen Mary 2.

That’s a mighty fine white rose, Ian. And super fragrant to boot! I don’t grow Pope John Paul II, but it reminds me of what I see and hear of PJPII. Your rose is gorgeous!

Transplanting Will Set a bush back. Let it get established in 1 place and then judge. That is an unbelievably beautiful rose

PJP2 was one I wish I got this spring to compare Queen Mary 2 with. I really wonder which would do better?

One of the parent plants to Queen Mary 2 (MEIfaissel) is 'Lady Sylvia which is a sport of 'Ophelia'. 'Ophelia' was one of the first and most popular hybrid teas for the cut flower industry.

@Vaporvac - You're right. I shouldn't be harsh to judge it's vigor when all I've put it through.

Thank you both ♡

@Ian Stewart: Zone 6 Western Kentucky, USA That is just a gorgeous rose, thank you for sharing such a thorough review.

I have a PJPII that's underperforming in my yard, 2 years old own root. I'm afraid I'm going to have to seek out a QMII now to compare.

@claudia - Then hopefully QM2 will do the job!

Grace Rose Farm has it available but you may have to sale an arm or a leg to buy it. That said, they are a trustable source

Claudia,

When Pope JPII first came out it was heavily promoted by J&P grown own root. For many folks, it wimped along own root, even in ideal locales, but was reported to grow better grafted. I waited until I could find it grafted, but unfortunately it was probably grafted on Dr. Huey. I planted it and sure as expected, it grew poorly in that it gained no size, made no fresh basal canes in ~5 yrs., but bloomed nicely, making weak necked flowers at the end of weak laterals coming from weak laterals, coming from weak laterals, etc. I pitched it in the end, it also being a black spotter.

Moses.

@Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & hot-humid S, z6 Thank you for that info, I have suspected I may have to try to locate a grafted one. You're describing exactly what it's doing in my yard, except mine is also stingy with the blooms. I hate to give up on it altogether because it is really lovely (for other people, ha).

Wow!! What a beauty!! Those blooms are perfect, and the color is lovely. You picked a stellar rose. I'm in a different zone than you are, but I'd be very happy with its growth after 2 years. It has produced huge blooms that cover the foliage. It's a wonderful rose, IMO. :) :)

Wow! you really lucked out. what a glorious rose, especially since it is young and had been moved. We are all now looking it up and trying to decide what can go to make room

Thank you @Kristine, I appreciate it!

It's a rose that SHOULD be more popular 😉

I do go all googoo-eyed over that high-centered bloom form, but Hybrid Teas are not for me. Fortunately that bloom form was inherited from the Teas, which I CAN grow. So all is well. Yours is a most beautiful rose; thanks for the photos!.

Claudia,

I think the root stock is the make or break factor with PJPII. If Dr. Huey does good where you garden then good. If multiflora root stock does the best then you may have some digging to do to locate one. Then, if only own root is available, it may work for you even though the reports of vigor with own root PJPII were frequent enough years back when it was first introduced to send up a red flag, to me, anyway.

Moses.

Fully open blooms

Beautiful in all stages of bloom.....not many roses can make this claim.

Moses.

No sir, no they can not. No balling nor not soo many petals that it cannot have the beautiful golden stamens. Many fail in this attribute.

It has a hip on it too, I'll sow seeds next year

Ian - delightful white rose. I love the open form too.

Re its vigor - what Vaporvac said ( after you said that it "has been transplanted a few times"). Every time that happens, the roots get damaged, and it needs TIME in one place for them to recover and grow more. So, I would not even form an opinion about how vigorus it is (or is not) until it has been left alone in one place for 2 or 3 years.

Jackie

@Jacqueline - I probably shouldn't have been soo harsh on it's vigor rating. As said, I did transplant a few times but it found its forever home now.

That said, the most vigorous rose I have is Sweet Mademoiselle. Over 6'5" in less then 10 months. Never in my life have I seen a rose as vigorous as that one.

Ian - just curious - do you grow any roses other than hybrid teas? Like Melissa, hybrid teas HATE my Mediterranean climate - I have one left, and I only keep it because it is a very early clone of "Peace", which I am told has "deteriorated in commerce" from being cloned zillions of times. Also, it was planted by my DH's grandfather, we think in the late 1940s. It does get the hybrid tea specialties of blackspot and rust (which is why I got rid of all of the other HTs), but I treat it as a family heirloom.

There is a book you might like which was written by Peter Schneider, when he was gardening in zone 6 in Ohio. It is called "Right Rose, Right Place", and the title points out what many people have figured out by years of trial and error - if you find roses which like the conditions you garden in, plant more of them, as planting roses which hate your conditions will only lead to frustration. He discusses types, and specific roses, which thrive where he lived. These include roses which are HTs, miniatures, polyanthas, certain kinds of Old Garden Roses, shrubs, rugosas, etc. He explains how to use them in the garden. (I only use the past tense because the book was written in 2009).

Jakcie

Wow, that is rare. I'd love an old 'Peace' prop. Most clones now are mostly white, diseased with everything under the sun and look terrible.

My climate is Mostly subtropical humid summers with winters that randomly dip to negative 5 fahrenheit one day and it be 45 the next day. Though usually we stay in the 20s or 30s during the winter.

And yes, I grow all sorts of classes of roses. OGR, moderns, Rugosas, Ramblers, species, Polyanthas and etc.

Thank you for the book recommendation, I'll be sure to check that out.

-Ian

Jackie - I love that book. He's got a sense of humor, which he shares liberally, if I can remember right.

Show quality blooms again and again

Show quality blooms again and again

Again and again, cute. :) :)

Very beautiful!!! I can see why you love that rose!!!

I think I like the photo of blooms entirely open, showing their lovely stamens - rare that a rose looks great in all stages of bloom!

Jackie

I appreciate & love your fantastic review on Queen Mary 2. What is the best time or month to shop at Lowe's for bare root roses? Thank you.

February is usually when we get our bareroot stock in at Lowes.
That said however, if I had to take a guess it's probably a regional though with timing.

Yes, a zone 4 person said her Lowe's stocked bare root in March 20 with a special sale.