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Calling Dr. Huey

14 years ago

Driving around lately I've been seeing this dark wine red rose blooming everywhere, not only in peoples' yards/gardens, but in abandoned places. I'm asking myself, what is this that everyone is planting/sharing?

Then I go visit a friend who had planted Angel Face next to a swing, and I see this dark wine red rose blooming on what I know was Angel Face, and it dawns on me--rootstock! Dr. Huey.

Dr. Huey is EVERYWHERE!!!!

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Comments (14)

buford
14 years ago
HAHA, I have a Dr. Huey! I dug up a rose and moved it, but the Dr. stayed behind. I finally let him bloom this year. I love the flower!

{{gwi:258888}}
melissa_thefarm
14 years ago
I know what you mean: for years I saw 'Dr. Huey' growing all over Olympia, Wash., and the surrounding area, before I figured out what rose it was and why it was so common. It's a happy thought in its way.
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Comments (36)
I'm quite a bit older than BassandBonsai, but I was noticing a similar pattern as I was reading this thread. It seems to me that it is mainly Californians who despise Dr. Huey, complaining that he too easily takes over and suckers a lot. Almost everyone non-Californian and Zone 6 and further north claims not to have any of those problems, or very rarely at best. I'm sure it's possible that there are Californians somewhere that haven't had Dr. Huey problems, as well as Zone 6 and further north gardeners who have experienced too many Dr. Huey problems. However, they aren't appearing here on our GW thread. So what do you think? Any validity to my observation here that it is only, or maybe primarily, Californians who have problems with Dr. Huey? If so, I'd be curious to find out WHY. What is there about California weather, soil, growing conditions, whatever, that makes Dr. Huey too vigorous and overpowering and excessively suckering? And if it is true that this is a primarily California problem, then maybe it is NOT true the death/near death of the more tender top plant is the main cause of why a Dr. Huey take-over occurs (though that is definitely the main and perhaps only way the take-over tends to occur in Zone 6 and further north). Since I have never grown roses in California, I can say nothing about that experience. But I can definitely state that in the midwest, Zone 6, I bury the grafts a couple inches and that I have never had anything sucker nor any rose get overpowered by Dr. Huey. Whether there is or is not a connection, I don't know, but I have been growing some of my roses for 15 or more years. The only exception to that rule in my yard (midwest Zone 6) is what happened before I moved here. I'm told a woman used to live here who was a wonderful gardener--and I still have legacies of some of her accomplishments growing in my garden. However, the one legacy I got rid of were several Dr. Hueys. Whether she was growing Dr. Huey or Dr. Huey took over after she left and no one cared for her gardens, I couldn't say. By the way, I did let her Dr. Hueys grow a couple years here--I was curious about them. Found out they are gorgeous in their springtime bloom and wretched plants the rest of the year. They no longer live here, needless to say. : ) Kate
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Dr. Huey, I presume?
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Comments (19)
I never saw a Dr. Huey bloom with 35-40 petals, nor one with a bright cerise color. Huey is normally only slightly fragrant. On the other hand, as Henry probably noticed, the green cane is nearly thornless, and that suggests Huey. From the location, it could be a sucker or not. I guess it could be a sport of either rose. I think I see cicada damage on the leftward cane. Ann says she leaves these for the season.
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Have I been nursing Dr. Huey?
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Comments (12)
The main downside of the good Doctor is he's a martyr to blackspot, and in some gardens mildew, as well. I've heard tales of people whose DH didn't defoliate yearly, but I think those tales are in the same category as unicorn sightings. HERE, even sprayed he comes down with a good case of BS by mid-summer. Defoliation is his lot in life. I've found the only way to mitigate it (notice I didn't say *prevent*), is to cut him back nearly to the ground after he blooms, (spray) then pray the new growth outgrows BS the rest of the year. He'll bloom the next Spring on however much new growth he puts on in the current year, but he may be smaller and bushier. Your mileage may vary. I happen to love his color. (yes, I have two) John PS. DH isn't "invasive" as such. He merely outlives many a grafted scion, or the desired original rose that was bought. He doesn't spread or sucker, unless you do like I did and leave a potted, grafted rose sitting in one place for too long. When you move the pot, DH will have sent roots into the ground and he WILL sprout, lol.
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Why are most American roses grafted on Dr. Huey instead of Fortuniana?
Q
Comments (18)
I am learning so much from this thread. There is such great knowledge and experience here. It's really interesting to hear about people's different experiences. Jeri...most of my Austin's were bare root plants purchased from local nurseries. Does that mean they are probably California or Texas grown (doesn't Austin grow his US roses in Texas?) What got me thinking about this topic was watching an Episode of The Victorian Flower Garden (on YouTube). It talks all about how rose grafting was done 100 hundred years ago in England, in this case they were taking about rose standards, which were all the rage at the time. "Briar men" would harvest wild roses to be used at the rootstock for the standards. It was extremely interesting, and it got me thinking about grafting. England is a small country and I imagine that a single rootstock works well all over the country. America is much larger and more geographically diverse (as well as vastly different climates). It makes sense to have regional rose growers who provide plants with rootstocks suited to those areas. I didn't realize (or really know the difference) that there were places to buy roses grafted onto certain rootstocks. I was re-reading that incredible thread by Fragrancnutter called "fragrant roses that produce abundant perfect cut blooms" and she says that she makes sure all her roses are on Fortuniana because it gives her bigger plants with more blooms. Now, she's in Australia, has lots of heat, and is a superlative gardener. I live in the PNW, have not much heat, and am an average gardener (and a rose growing newbie). Where we are similar is in our warm winters (I am in a solid zone 9 now) and maybe our soils. I garden on glacial till which is incredibly fast draining. Even with liberal organic amendments my garden requires a shocking amount of irrigation for roses to thrive in it. This took me 15 years to figure out :) I would like to be able to back off on the water (I have my own well thankfully) over time as the roses become more established, and be mindful about buying roses that will thrive in my particular garden and soil. I have many own root antique tea roses that I think will like my mild winters, quick draining soil, and warm microclimate created by a large gravel driveway on one side and the road on the other. If Fortuniana will help me deal with these particular conditions, that would be great. A rose that naturally enjoys heavier soil will not enjoy my garden :)
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york_rose
14 years ago
Dr. Huey is also the most common rose I see driving in my local area north of Boston. The flowers are quite nice, but the rose doesn't bloom for all that long, and then it's done for the year (& since I prefer fragrant roses and it's scentless that's a big strike against it for me, too).
teeandcee
14 years ago
LoL, I had the same experience when hubby and I visited upstate New York years ago. I finally asked here and everyone suggested Dr. Huey.
anntn6b
14 years ago
But, but, you put up a picture of a bloom WITH leaves.
In this part of the rose world, Black Spot has deleafed Dr. Hueys before the buds open.
(Makes a distant ID much easier.)

You do know that there's a paper in an ARS annual in which the Dr.Huey recommended Rosa multiflora as a superior rootstock?
Embothrium
14 years ago
Frequency due of course to it being used by wholesale growers. In my area it often displays leaf mosaic patterns.
jeffcat
14 years ago
I see a fair amount of Dr. Huey's in Columbus. The turnover rate for home ownership is high, so it's common to see Dr. Huey take over. ToyTrain's Dr. Huey is quite nice looking.

Here is a link that might be useful: ToyTrain's Dr. Huey
gardennatlanta
14 years ago
I had a little baby rose coming up earlier this spring and eagerly awaited the first bloom, hoping it was a random seedling. Nope. Dr. Huey. I guess the roots of an old rose I dug out a couple of years ago were grafted onto Dr. H. Sigh. Not a seedling and he's no longer among us.
michaelg
14 years ago
I'll repeat a tip for growing Dr. Huey for those who tolerate him. Immediately after the bloom period, cut the plant to the ground, fertilize, and then leave it alone until after the next year's bloom. This treatment helps control his mildew and blackspot (Physician, heal thyself!) and produces an attractive fountain shape.
jerijen
14 years ago
It is ALL over the older residential areas of Las Vegas, NV, and really spectacular in mid-to-late April.
Huge purple fountains of bloom.
buford
14 years ago
Ann, Well since I spray, I do spray the Dr. Not that I care if he defoliates, but he's next to one of my other roses, Fabulous, that gets BS very badly and I don't want any bs near it.

Thanks for the tip michael, I'll do just that.
holleygarden Zone 8, East Texas
14 years ago
I had a yellow climber in a bad place (not really enough room), so I dug it up. Dr. Huey sprouted, so I dug him up. He's sprouted again - and I dug Dr. Huey up the second time. Well, he's sprouted AGAIN! I've got a jasmine planted there, and don't want to hurt the jasmine digging him up. I thought if I just cut him down to the ground, he might die, but instead this will make him bigger???!!! Am I destined to live with the good doctor?
michaelg
14 years ago
Cutting a plant down doesn't make it stronger; only leaves in the sunshine can do that. If you cut it down repeatedly before the leaves open, it will eventually get discouraged.
holleygarden Zone 8, East Texas
14 years ago
Thanks. That's what I'm going to do.

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