Are you certain the pics you saw stated that the tree roses were on their own roots? Were they modern roses, OGRs, or species? I'm having difficulty conceiving of how one could grow a single cane to a specific length & then get it to branch out, producing top growth adequate enough to constitute an attractive rose tree. If it's possible, the process must take forever and a day.

donna, last summer I was inspired by the standards (tree roses) I saw when I visited Roseriae de l'Hay near Paris. So, I decided to try it myself. I have had great success so far with the wichuriana rambler Paul Transon. I took three long canes and tied them to a piece of rebar I pounded into the ground. The canes are trained up about 7 ft and then encouraged to branch out and weep downward.

I have many rooted cuttings of Renee Danielle..another rose similar to Paul Transon that I may use in the same way.

Robert

Do you want to do this yourself because the process sounds fun to you, or do you just want a tree rose? There is an own-root, ungrafted tree rose for sale that is extremely hardy in the north called Polar Joy. Other roses grafted onto standard form are available mostly through mail order, but in our climate need to be brought indoors in the winter or else the graft(s) will freeze.

If you want to do this yourself, I would try it with a very hardy/vigorous/thick-stemmed rose. William Baffin comes to mind. I bet eventually he could be pruned to a standard. And he is vigorous enough that you could probably get a nice thick standard form within 3 years or so. You need to start from the begining and train the rose to a single leader like any standard topiary. It will take a while, esp. in the north.

De La Grifferaie is used for making tree roses and is supposed to be fairly cold hardy, I'd think it might be trained into standard form. I got one to try, but it's still in the coldframe. I don't know if it will be OK in the alkaline conditions here (it's hybrid MF). Should have sent this one to you when we did our rose trade. :-) Paul and Pat are doing just fine, BTW.

- Michelle

vielchen..i just was intrigued by the concept..in the longrun..i think it might be easier for me to plant an own root and train it into a tree form than it is to lug my tree roses in and out in the fall and spring..they are cumbersome..especially as one gets a bit older!
michelle..glad the roses i sent are doing well..yours are, too...right after i e-mailed you we had several days of very cold weather, so i scrambled to protect the babies..but they came through fine!
estrellebux..yes..i'm fairly certain they were on their own roots..like rjlinva said..i thought it was france,..have to look up the garden and see if i can find any names..
just something i thought i'd try..if any of you have success in the future..please let me know...thanks all..donna

How to make a Tree Rose, full reference here with how to find it for free on google.

Here is a link that might be useful: From 1828

thanks ann..you're the best!! donna