Beautiful! Chamblee's recommended it as a good DA for this part of Texas, and it looks like they were right.

Hi JoshTx: Your Sharifa Asma pictures are the MOST beautiful I have seen. I am kicking myself for getting Eglantyne instead of Sharifa Asma. I wonder what type of potting soil do you use? Your rose looks perfect !!

Here, Sharifa Asma produced blooms of surpassing beauty, with a remarkable fragrance.

Sadly -- she was a terribly weak grower, here -- so the blooms tended to flop over and lay on the ground. She compounded that annoyance by mildewing at a very low level -- ALL THE TIME.

So -- she left for the landfill.

Jeri

Sharifa Asma has the most incredible fragrance. I once saw it planted in a mass grouping, where the scent wafted and the ground was littered with fallen petals. Lovely. Now that I think of it, why don't *I* have it???

Strawberry Hill,

I found out that my city offers a free compost program from a few guys who work on the Dallas Cowboys Stadium landscaping team. They said that they are yet to find anything that makes plants grow as well as that compost does. And from the looks of the turn out this year, I would have to agree. I just supplemented normal soil with a compost/potting soil mix and potted her up.

I have to agree with Jeri though, when she's good, she is great. When she is bad, she is miserable.

One of my favorite Austin roses. Its fragrance is amazing. I see a little mildew, but not so much as to make me change my mind about this rose.

Rosefolly

She's one of my favorites. So beautiful and intensely fragrant! Mine is a strong upright grower to around 5' and reblooms remarkably well. I feed with Rosetone and she seems to like it.

This is a pretty rose and it takes a while to get settled in and get a nice size but then she's a good bloomer. I have seen it in the late day sun glowing like it had a small light inside of it. Striking and easily seen from a distance. The petals are thin and fine and the shading of them adds to the glow look. You need a dark background to see this happen. I never smelled the amazing fragrance everyone talks about. Maybe it needs more sun to do this. I was just trying to keep the fragile petals from frying and falling apart.

I don't know Strawberry, if I had to choose between Sharifa and Eglantyne, I'd pick Eglantyne and you have the perfect climate to get Eglantyne to repeat well. I think Eglantyne is much prettier and lasts longer. Mine's going to be a spring bloomer but I can live with that to get to see the pink powderpuffs. Sharifa is not too big and might be fine in a pot for a while.

It's a wonderful rose once it matures. Mine looked crummy for a few years but now it's beautiful. Thanks for the photos.

Sharifa is one of my favorites! Her roots got nibbled on by voles last fall and I thought she was a goner. She literally just fell over one day. But I took a few of the nibbled pieces and stuck them in potting soil- on a wing and a prayer- and lo and behold, she grew new roots! No special treatment. In fact, she sat in that pot outside all winter. She's in a trade gallon pot now and has about five fat buds waiting to bloom. Go Sharifa!

Mendocino rose, I'm glad to hear this: "It's a wonderful rose once it matures. Mine looked crummy for a few years but now it's beautiful." The blooms I've had are beautiful, but the bushes themselves seems puny. I'll give them more time to grow into attractive rose bushes.

My 'Sharifa Asma' is eight years old, in full sun and compact soil, grown without supplementary water or more care than my occasionally weeding around her and giving her an annual pruning and a bit of mulch. She is now a strong-growing healthy rose, about 4' tall and perhaps a little wider. It took her several years to grow into her current handsome self. SA is one of the most fragrant roses I know. We have summer heat, wet winters, and neutral to alkaline clay soil.

beautiful rose and great pictures--
Florence

Ah, old thread. I have SA growing at my previous home which we now rent out. Been wanting one for my new house. Looks like it's getting hard to find but maybe I'll try to go over there and take some cuttings.

I think it is very happy in the right situation. Mine did well for a number of years, then somehow didn't do so well any more. It was on its own roots and suckered, and seemed to exhaust the soil in its area. I don't have it anymore, but I did like the scent. My suspicion is that this is a rose that might do better grafted.

It might depend on your conditions, Paula. Mine is on her own roots, and is doing fine. But we have that heavy, nourishing clay. I was glad to notice this year that my plant has suckered out moderately: the first time I see this happening.