This one is new to me, just got it this year from ARE (I think).

So far, the growth habit is more spreading than upright, but I think it does eventually get pretty tall.

I really like it as far as bloom shape, color, and especially fragrance. It is the most fragrant tea I've ever smelled, and it seems to be fragrant any time of day.

This might be a long shot, but if you like it, but are opposed to purchasing a new one, maybe you could "start over" by taking a cutting from the portion that is behaving properly? Just a thought.

My Duchesse de Brabant is also new this year, from The Antique Rose Emporium. I agree with BelleGallica that it is the most fragrant tea I've ever sniffed ... any time of day or night.

Mine is just as wide as it is tall, making a beautifully formed plant.

You've had your planted for three years, and it's only 2 ft tall? Mine will be that tall by the end of this first year. Must be the difference in climate.

After three years of trying, if a rose still isn't doing well for me, I ditch it. Forunately, my Duchesse is already rockin' and rollin'. But I wouldn't blame you if you threw in the towel, since you've given it three years.

Randy

DdB smells so wonderful, DdB smells divine-arghhh. If i hear it one more time i am going to singe my nose hairs. I have sniffed her in the morning. I have sniffed her in the evening. Yes-i have slipped into the garden and sniffed her late at night. I have sniffed her in the rain, in the sun and in the fog. I have cajoled, cursed, cried and what does she give me? A stingy whiff of old raspberries, a miserly little waft of used tea-bag. Bah!

Well-she is a pretty thing and young. Perhaps-like wine and other things-she will get better with age? Or is the ARE clone really sooo much more fabulous than the Vintage one?

Could be your nose, mauirose. Different people have different sensory equipment. Ask other people what they think of your version. I can't stand pickles in potato salad but other people love it.

It could be but i asked three others.

Zip, Zilch and Zero.

That's interesting, Maui.
But I can't explain it.
Hamp has a Duchesse de Brabant, and he says he can't smell it either.
Not sure where his came from.
"Used tea-bag" scent?
Nope ... not even close.
Fresh, sweet fruit, consistently there, perfection in a scent.
One of life's unsolved mysteries, I suppose.

Randy

Lux, if it were me and I really wanted this rose, I would order another plant. When I have a dud rose I try a new clone from another vendor. If the second one does poorly in my garden I know the particular rose doesn't like my climate, but often another clone will perform well. Usually I will try moving the rose I already have if I suspect that the placement could be causing problems but if that doesn't work I try another plant.

Carol

I could never smell this rose either. While it grew big in my garden, it mildewed heavily. I'm just not a china and tea fan. No, they don't blackspot much, but they are coated with that icky white powder stuff that deforms the leaves and distorts the flowers.

Now that it is gone, I enjoy growing the other rose named for the same person, Honorine de Brabant. She must have been impressive to have two different roses named for her. These are striped and here at least healthy, too. Roses are like real estate: location, location, location.

Icky white powder stuff? As in Powdery Mildew or something else?

Exactly. In my climate, teas and chinas are highly susceptible to PM. Since I can't smell either of them, they are not very appealing to me. I do understand that they are wonderful roses in other gardens, but IMO are not the panacea for warm climate rose growers that they are sometimes said to be.

On the other hand, I am delighted to admire them in the right gardens. Others do very well with them, and they can be beautiful.

rosefolly, I think the history of the tea rose is not accurate.
I think they surely are native Texas plants that somehow made their way to china centuries ago :-)
Powdery Mildew isn't something I see on roses in my garden, except of course, when I grew Clotilde Soupert.

Randy

I'm one of the unfortunates that cannot detect tea scents in roses but the Duchesse is one of the few that I CAN smell! I don't spray with fungicides and my rose is spot free too even here in southwest FL. Maybe you got a dud?

My DdB is not all that healthy. I love tea scented roses but this one isn't one of my favorites - Different noses for different folks I guess.
I'd SP it and start over. No sense in trying to make a dud into a queen.
Lots of the blooms on mine have few petals - I've never thought about it before - this used to be one of my favorite roses and I don't like semi-double blooms. I wonder if she has changed over time or if I just got lots of other roses that became my favorites.
Might I suggest Bridesmaid instead? Better fragrance, more petals, same color. I don't even like pink but the fragrance is worth putting up with any color in my garden.