There is a rose in commerce that has been sold by the name of Cecile Bruner by Lowe & Home Depot that is a once-bloomer. Smells very fragrant, only blooms in spring. My DIL bought one also. She has had hers 3-4 years and has had 3 spring blooms since acquiring it.

Allow me to sing the praises of Cecile Brunner Cl.

Ours is over 65 years old and I treasure her. Canes almost as big as my arm.

Recently a woman who lived in our home in 1940 dropped in on us, and when I took her around to see the yard her knees almost buckled when we went out back: "It's still here!!!"

It was a very emotional moment for us both.

This rose has survived (no make that "thrived) during periods of total neglect. Including (I hate to admit) years under my care when my work load was so overwhelming that the garden slipped low on my priority list. And yet she thrived!

As Jeri said, she is a "very vigorous, handsome plant". I'd just add this is no understatement. The foliage is (to my taste) very beautiful, and here at least completely free of disease (can't speak of elsewhere).

Out rose self-layered, so the mother plant and the "daughter" now form a "wall" of roses about 25ft tall and 40 ft wide. The "daughter" side has a little catching up to do (she was just separated back in January of this year...but she is already getting BIG.

I'm perhaps in a minority, but I have no problem with a rose that blooms only in the Spring. Especially when it blooms the way our Cecile Brunner does. All Spring it's covered with thousands of buds. A sight to behold...honestly I stand in the yard and marvel.

Granted she puts out more blooms in the past couple seasons, as I've tended her with more organic nutrition. But even in neglected times we could look forward to impressive springtime displays.

It can occasional repeat with a few flowers in the Fall...but (as others have stated) this is really a once-bloomer. And great rose (especially left to grow to its huge full sized potential).

Bill Cartwright

Oh, Bill! I agree with you! In fact, my own Cl. Cecile Brunner scatters bloom through the summer, and then produces a modest fall flush.
Neither of these shots is the biggest bloom she can do, but they're handy. She's not the only once-bloomer we grow, but she is one I would not wish to give up.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/JeriJennings/CecileBrunner4-6-05.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/JeriJennings/CecileBrn6-3-6.jpg

But, that said, if someone wants remontancy, Cl. Cecile is not their cuppa tea.

Jeri

jeri, how beautiful! I guess she couldn't be put a trellis that measures 8 or 9 ft. by 5 ft. wide?

Sandy, I'll tell you the truth. There is an arbor under there. I admit, it's not much of an arbor -- it was one of those pre-made dyed-redwood arbors that sell for -- what? 80 bux? They last about 3 years here, if you're lucky, and that one is probably 10-12 years old. Its legs don't touch the ground anymore. The rose holds it up.
That's one thing about Cl. Cecile Brunner. Once mature, she's got some real rigidity. She don't need no stinkin' arbor.

There's a lot of old dead twiggy stuff under there, but neither of us is willing to go after it with a chainsaw, which is what it would take, to get rid of that. But many many birds nest in there, and it's a real delight to listen to them, when you walk under their kingdom. :-)

Jeri

Oh my gosh. Isn't that lovely.

Yup, that settles it. I've been vacillating over whether or not I really want this rose for ages now. On the one hand, I fell in love with my husband under a climbing Cecile Brunner, oh so many years ago, and so now that we finally own a house, I sentimentally wanted to plant one. On the other hand, I kept having all of these *doubts.* "Oh, but it gets so big, and we don't have all *that* much space..." "Oh, but it only blooms once a year..." "Oh, but what if it, like, totally crushes the support I give it, and I'm, like, actually under it *at the time,* and I end up CRUSHED LIKE A BUG?!"

But forget all that. Those pictures have finally laid all of my doubts to rest. I'm planting one.

Thanks you for resolving my indecision!

I have a climbing Cecile Brunner that was supposed to be spray Cecile Brunner, but it is huge and is remontant (totally blooms all the time), smells wonderful and something I wish was smaller so I could keep it by the garden gate just to smell it.

Climbing Mlle Cecile Brunner (despite claims to the contrary) has usually been a once bloomer (heavy in spring with minimal repeat later). However, there are several sports of this rose both in size and color; Spray Cecile Brunner, (up to nine foot and beyond in my garden) tends to be a repeat bloomer here in Southern California; EVerblooming Cecile Brunner (from Siskyou Rare Plants) via
Heirloom is supposed to be a continuous or at least remontant bloomer. There is a another bush variety with little or no yellow in the center of the bloom that grows to six by six feet. There are a couple of white versions and there was in the late '20's a yellow sport of Cl. Cecile Brunner. The rose is rapidly becoming the landscaper's alternative to 'Iceberg' in southern California because of its floriferoussness and thornfree and disease-free characteristics. As an aside, the larger the plant, the more thorns: thus the bush form is virtually thornless, but the climbers and other sports carry thorns even as they grow.

Mlle Cecile Brunner is arguably the second most popular polyantha in the world; and if you include all of the altnertaive sports, it may be the most popular.

JD

Goodness, now I really have a tough decision. I have a small yard, so I may replace her. I planted my first non-Knockout roses last year after reading about OGRs and being inspired by this site. The cl. Cecile was an impulse buy when I saw her at Lowe's and I just assumed she would rebloom like the bush form. She's a beauty in bloom, so I will see how she does this summer & possibly replace in the fall. She has been totally carefree in the Arkansas heat & humidity, so that's a big plus. Seeing the photos of what she can potentially be makes it hard to decide!

We have here a lovely, healthy Spray Cecile Brunner, courtesy of JD. When we get back from Celebration Of Old Roses, we'll put this puppy up for sale -- maybe using Ebay -- to raise funds for Heritage Roses Groups.

Jim, I'm really happy to be babysitting this plant, because it's just coming into bloom, and now I see the very decorative sepals that are the identifying factor for Spray CB. LOVELY!

But oh brother -- You should'a seen the ones in the Sacramento City Cemetery! BEAUTIFUL!

Jeri Jennings

Jeri--The sepals on Spray Cecile Brunner are so distinctive and beautiful; they have to give the impression that the plant is always in motion without any wind whatsoever. Climbing against the sky as they do (the blooms tend to come in short stems along the canes)they resemble some ancient Aztec bird in the wrong century.
IMO, Spray Cecile Brunner is one of the many gems to be wrung from the genetic makeup of the original bush form.

JimD

And if THAT doesn't sell Spray Cecile Brunner, I don't know what possibly could!

Jeri

My spray Cecile Brunner did not bloom for two years, but grew quite large along my neighbor's fence in dappled shade. It bloomed in abunence this spring with many fragrant flowers for well over a month. It gets no care at all, no water, no fertilizer and only prunning when needed. My neighbor's yard must have a wet spot near that area as i have a Penelope and a Jacque Cartier that also receive no TLC. In comparison, I have had the shrub Cecile Brunner and it died from Summer heat. I agree that it is not normally a good repeater, but when it blooms it is a show stopper like my Seven Sisters roses.

I purchased a new home with a big back yard. I have always wanted a Cecile Brunner to climb over an arbor. Is it possible to grow another rose intermixed with it to try to accomplish a more continuous bloom? For example a New Dawn? Or what would you suggest in my area? Zone 5. I only like light or dark pink roses, no peach. Thanks this is my first look at this web site. I notice some are commnenting on pictures. How do I access these.