No. We have some in the garden that are getting close to 5 feet in height. They may even get larger, but we keep cutting on them.

Trish

In California, I have seen Poly/Teas 8 ft. tall -- old cemetery plants of Mlle. Cecile Brunner, La Marne, and Perle d'Or are commonly that tall, or taller.
I have seen Lady Ann Kidwell up to the peak of a high gabled roof. 20 ft.?

I'm watching Lady Reading, however, NOT a Poly/Tea, to see if the rest of her follows the 6-ft cane she's pushed up.

But The Fairy is a sprawler, so it won't be tall. And most Margo Kosters I've seen were under 3 ft., but they were also pruned hard -- and badly.

Jeri

Yikes, 20 feet, not for me :-(( I don't want the rambler forms, not what I am looking for. I am looking for the small upright shrub forms with a growth habit like Margo Koster.

No. You mis-understand me.
The Lady Ann Kidwell of which I spoke was not a climber.

It was probably planted there shortly after its release in 1948.
At the time I saw it, perhaps 4-5 years ago, it had probably never been pruned.
In Southern California, things don't freeze back.
Lady Ann Kidwell, in particular, is more like a Tea Rose than a short, frilly Poly.
Had it been possible to sell Tea Roses in 1948, they probably would have released it as one.

Why don't you check out White Pet?
Or Pink Pet?
Or Orleans Rose?
Or Mutterdag?

Jeri

There are lots of small polys. I have a ring of 12 of them. And Margo Koster is wonderful. My parents had one by their back door for 25 years. She stayed under 3' and nobody ever pruned her or fed her or sprayed her (I got my gardening obsession from my grandfather--the gene skipped my parents completely) and she bloomed almost continuously. I have one here now, by my back door. I love her.
Look at Vintage Gardens for a good list of polys. They rate their sizes, so you can tell which are the small ones.

Verdun is a nice, small polyantha you might try. Lullaby is another.

Jeri, my Pink Pet is five feet tall already and we do have freezing weather in the winter. I know some question its classification as a China, but mine sure looks like one.

You know Phil, that China thing . . .
I found a Louis Phillipe in a NoCal cemetery that has to be 9 ft tall.
I don't think we can think of Chinas as small!

I like CatsRose's suggestion -- check Vintage's size descriptions.

Jeri

I picked up polyantha 'Pinkie' for half price. It should stay 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide in my zone. Have you considered this one?

Would I be wrong to suspect that the Polyanthas may be one of those rose groups where they stay small in a garden where there's a cold winter and a shorter growing season, but get (sometimes significantly) larger where the climate is warmer?

Ok, Jeri, I did get confused. It just proves that roses don't read the size descritions. I do prune and since we do have real winters here although usually not too severe.

suz- Thanks for the suggestion but 1-2 feet is too short for what I am looking for.

Phil- Verdun is only listed as custom root at Vintage. Not going that route, takes too long and its costly.

Jeri- Orleans is also just listed as custom root. I will just start looking thru the ones they do list to see if I find anything interesting.

FWIW, Jim Delahanty and John Bagnasco will speak on Polyanthas, at the November ARS National Convention in Palm Springs.

I have heard JD speak on Polys.
At our local rose society, he raised so much enthusiasm I thought he'd never get out of the room.
I know John B -- who is not only a terrific speaker (he has a radio show in the Sandy Eggo area) but the hybridizer of several new Polyanthas.

I hope a bunch of y'all will have an opportunity to hear them. You'll learn a lot in a very pleasant way.
=============

Rita, ANY of the Koster group of Polys may be just what you want. Of Vintage's current offerings, I hope you'll consider Ellen Poulsen, Lady Reading, Mothersday (Mutterdag), maybe Yvonne Rabier. I'd like to try Mme. Norbert Levavasseur myself.
Lady Reading has been a real trouper here.

Jeri

Jeri

Perle D'Or is a lovely polyantha - it looks like Cecile Bruner, except the flowers are golden yellow instead of pink. Even around here, where most roses get larger than they are "supposed to", it stays about 5 feet tall.

I really laughed when I first saw your question about whether all polyanthas are small - we have a climbing Cecile Bruner which goes up our house at least 25 feet, and is 15-20 feet wide!

Little White Pet is always manerly - I have grown it for over 10 years, and it stays at 3 feet. Very healthy, and always covered in tiny, neat white blooms.

Jackie

Cliff Orent at EuroDesert Roses has a bunch of unusual varieties, including some polyanthas. You might want to contact him.

Jim Delahanty is probably the current world expert on polyanthas. If you can talk to him, you will find out about many really nice polys.

I second the Perl D'or suggestion. It's petals remind me of silk ribbons. You might try the Maries, Daly & Pavie. They stay about 2-3 ft and the fragrance is heavenly.