What exactly does 'heat tolerant' mean in the garden?

15 years ago

I have one more space left for a climbing rose this year. The site gets sun all day, and we get several intense heat waves in the summer. I had Graham Thomas in a similar spot, though with late afternoon shade, and he wilted and moped daily. That makes me want to stay away from the DA's for this spot. I was looking at Eden and Rhode Island Red, but noticed in Hortico's catalogue that some roses are listed as "heat tolerant".

Does this mean it will perform marginally better than other roses in the same spot? Or does this mean it out-performs other roses in heat and thereby gets this designation? Does it mean the leaves won't crisp, or will just crisp less than others? The flowers will continue to be plentiful? Or simply that it won't conk out entirely when the heat wave starts?

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Comments (8)

buffington22
15 years ago
I think the most important aspect is dry heat with humidity,like the summers where I live.
I doubt that you have much to worry about as opposed to my location,i.e. Canada vs. Lousiana. Our summers are frequently without much rain yet we have the intense humidity that caused most plants to shut down completely. Think about walking out your door into a very humid 400 degree oven! Here the Chinas and teas fare pretty well into August. They all perk up in September thru November and December.
sandy808
15 years ago
I grow Rhode Island Red, and it does great for me. I think the most important aspect of helping a rose through the stress of intense heat is proper and regular irrigation.

Sandy
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kinglemuelswife
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the responses. I'm wondering if RIR will do well in zone 5/6, if it is doing so well in your zone 8? At any rate, I guess what I was getting at is whether the "heat tolerant" lable means the rose is *significantly* better in heat, bred for heat, etc, or just *marginally* better, and the lable simply acts as a selling feature. Should I narrow my choices to roses marked "heat tolerant" for this spot, or is it really six-to-one-half-dozen-to-the-other?
barbarag_happy
15 years ago
An intense heat wave would be like Texas, where temps can stay above 100 degrees every day for up to three months, with 15-25 mph winds. When I lived up north I selected all my shrubs & climbers based on hardiness to cold. Don't worry about heat-- you don't get the kind of heat which requires choosing for heat tolerance IMHO.
york_rose
15 years ago
I agree with barbarag_happy. I daresay the only time you'll truly need to think about heat tolerance is when you're considering growing something that would really rather grow in hardiness zone 4 or 3.
kinglemuelswife
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the information. I guess that means that I can choose between Rhode Island Red and Eden now! :0) I think I get way too literal sometimes, so catalogues are a bit of a minefield for me. I just didn't want to buy a rose and watch the buds crisp on the plant due to the heat.

Thanks again!
michellesg
15 years ago
I find it interesting that your GT didn't do well in the heat. I have only Austins in my garden, at least 15 of them, all purchased bare root in the blazing heat of summer. Yes, there are places that will sell and ship roses to south central Texas in the blazing heat of summer. The one that I own 2 of and has grown to a least 8 ft whislt being almost completely ignored by me is Teasing Georgia. It kicks out blooms like mad in serious volume. Another 2 that do amazing in my lackadasical care is The Generous Gardener and Heritage. Heritage blooms shatter quickly and are not made for cutting but the smell is divine so I don't care.
All of them do stellar in the blazing heat of Texas. They are only 2 years in ground and all are over 5 ft tall. Well, they'd be way taller but I hack them back so my dogs don't get impaled as they fly by. It's not due to care and watering either since they charge # for water use out here and we are always under water restrictions. I prune on rare occasion.
kinglemuelswife
Original Author
15 years ago
Michellesg: I was very disappointed with GT in my garden, and I'm wondering now if perhaps I got a dud plant? If it will withstand Texas heat, then why not Canadian heat? It wilted with serious passion in my garden. Do you think Teasing Georgia will get as high in my climate as yours? Have you cut GT at all? It gave me a bad feeling about growing the DA's in the heat...which now seems a bit unfounded!?

What exactly does 'heat tolerant' mean in the garden?

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buffington22

sandy808

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What exactly does 'heat tolerant' mean in the garden?

Comments (8)

buffington22

sandy808

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