Moonlight Romantica.......anybody as disappointed with it as I am?

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

last month

last modified: last month

Lots of die-back every winter, stingy with flowers, small blooms, long laterals that often (2/3 of the time), end in blind growth. Yes, it's fragrant and pretty black spot resistant, but these assets still don't give Moonlight Romantica a reprieve. It's on its way to the compost pile, unless you are having great success with yours, and we garden under similar growing conditions......which leads to you telling me what you're doing that I'm not doing, please. It's been ~6 years of waiting for a turn around and nothing has materialized yet.

Moses.

Featured Answer

BenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14)

last month

last modified: last month

Moonlight Romantica is the rose I cannot get rid of! My mom went to rose pruning demonstration , and she won the door prize , a giant plant of Moonlight Romantica in a 10 gallon pot, I dug a nice hole and planted it for her. It was sprawly, stingy, and crispy. Mom had never had such a terrible rose, she thought it was some sort of joke. She had lived through WWII in China and never wastes anything, but she made me dig up that Moonlight Romantica. No sooner had I done that , then Grace Rose Farm sent me a giant ’estate’ sized Moonlight Romantica as a freebie with my order! I didn’t want to pawn it off on anyone, since, I wanted to retain my garden buddies!

I think I’ve told this story before, sorry for the repeat, but it’s all I think of when I hear ’Moonlight Romantica’. Beautiful name, horrible rose, and in general the Meilland Romanticas are fantastic for me. Gina Lollibrigida , another Meilland yellow does better for me and is far more beautiful.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & hot-humid S, z6
Original Author
last month
last modified: last month
Enough said, Ben! Where's my shovel?

Moses.
Related Professionals
Spartanburg Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Enfield Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Vancouver Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Fort Myers Landscape Contractors · Corpus Christi Landscape Contractors · Willmar Landscape Contractors · Clearlake Landscape Contractors · Mission Viejo Landscape Contractors · Montrose Landscape Contractors · Calgary Landscape Contractors · Belleville Home Builders · Fort Worth Home Builders · Auburn Home Builders · Harrisburg Home Builders · Watertown Home Builders
judijunebugarizonazn8
last month
Ben, I know I heard that story before, but to read it again was frustrating and funny all over again. I think you need to dub it the Velcro rose, since it looks like you’re stuck with always having one. ;)
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
last month
Well, if Ben cant get it to thrive then it must truly be a dud. Moses, you know my creedo, if it doesnt make you smile then out it goes. There are too many great roses to grow.
jim1961 Central Pennsylvania Zone 6a
last month
Thats my Creedo also Kristine / Moses.. :-)
Markay MD-Zone 7B
last month
Hmmm… I guess I’m the outlier because I quite like mine. It is a bit stingy about repeating, but it has good blackspot resistance even in part shade (I think the part shade is at least somewhat to blame for the stingy rebloom). In short, it is a tall rose thst is excellent in the back of my border, but I probably wouldn’t give it a prime spot.
judijunebugarizonazn8
last month
Yours is gorgeous, Markay.
Markay MD-Zone 7B
last month
Thank you Judi!
Moses, Pitt PA, cold W & hot-humid S, z6
Original Author
last month
last modified: last month
Markay,

Your rose culture skills are nonpariel. You hold a high standard for me to attain.

Moses.