Absolutely love it! I have had it for quite a few years now, and it has reached up a little over 12 feet. There is usually a tremendous flush in the spring, well over 100 blooms on it at any one time, but after the initial flush, blooming is intermittant throughout the rest of the season. I spray it whenever I spray the others, and have seen little or no mildew or blackspot as a result. I knew I had a winner when a neighbor came into the yard a few years ago, and upon seeing it in full bloom, exclaimed "MY GOD!"

It is a definate keeper in my garden. I'm not sure how big it is but it's a large, sturdy, thorny vased shaped plant. I have it in a bed full of hot colors. It gets some blackspot though even though I spray. STill worth the space.

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Linda

In my garden Altissimo is in too much shade, has no soil ammendments, doesn't get watered, doesn't get sprayed, and still always has blooms on it. (It was my 1st rose, and one of my 1st plants).
So it's a great rose since it can handle all of that. I can only imagine what it would do in good soil and with water.
Everyone who isn't into roses comments on this rose when they see it in my garden. They all want it.
But it doesn't have much fragrance and I'm not into singles, so it isn't one of my favorite roses.

I believe it is a Delbard, and I have always liked all the Delbard roses, including Altissimo, the "poinsettia" rose.

It's not one of my favorites. It stays clean and blooms well and looks good, but I have little affection for it.

Is it the lack of fragrance? Or stiffness in growth habit, perhaps. I wish it were more graceful.

Thanks everyone! Beautiful pics, erasmus. Since you are in NC and roseman is in zone 8a (I am, too), hopefully it will do well for me also. As for the stiff canes, I will probably tie them to the deck railings. Robusta, which will be next to it, has a more arching form and should soften the effect. Another impulse buy, sigh... but after seeing how Robusta went on blooming while my Alba was finished, and seeing how the red roses showed up in a pic, I decided I'd rather have another red rose instead of the white one.
I like the singles and also like the really, really full blooms w/ numerous petals, like Wm. Shakespeare (unfortunately, I'm afraid it might be a problem in this climate). Any other suggestions for favorite red or orange roses? Brandy

Brandy, I too have and love Altissimo. I am doubting, however, that you'll have much luck tying the canes to a deck railing. The canes, for me, aren't ever flexible enough. I think if I were trying to make them horizontal, the canes would snap, probably at the base. If you are looking for a similar style rose to train along the deck railing, I think that "Dortmund" would be better suited. It is also single and bright red, but the flowers have a white "eye"...very vigorous, very disease resistant. And, I think it blooms more. I'd save Altissimo for a back of the border spot where it's stiff upright height is better suited.

Robert

I was able to spread out the canes of Altissimo a bit - I have an old shot somewhere, before I executed it. I pruned that beast every winter. Each summer I waded in there to train the new basals that inevitable grew in the back and had to be lead through the wilderness. At that height I still had to deadhead with loppers. It sets crabapple-sized hips. It's easier to train straight up to about 10 feet, not that wide.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:286258}}

Robert- I really wasn't very clear when I said I'd tie them to the deck railings- I meant vertically, the top of my deck railings is 7 ft off the ground. I do think though it would look better if I move my Robusta so that Altissimo has the corner away from the steps and visually it would then be in back. I don't know how it will work. I don't want to have to find another place to plant it if I can avoid doing so. I have seen pics of Dortmund and thought it looked good also...sigh...so many choices! In the Wayside catalog, there is a rose named 'Henry Nevard', it is very attactive and supposed to be extremely resistant to black spot. Anyone know this rose? Or other red or orange ones that are resistant? and easy to grow? Brandy

I'm growing Henry Nevard...so far so good with disease resistance..and the flowers are certainly loud...I love it.

Robert

Dotmund doesn't repeat well, or even at all.

Thank you all for your words of experience.
Berndoodle- thank you for the pic- I now know I either need to give away all 3 bushes or I need to create a different place to plant it- it's too tall to put in front of my deck.
I could see a whole privacy screen planted w/ those would be stunning! Thanks for telling me that Dortmund doesn't rebloom too.
Robert- I might try the Henry Nevard, though I might look for a different source. I'm not very happy w/ Wayside- in addition to the way they "enhance" colors in their catalog, I paid extra for 2 day shipping on these roses and the beautyberry I just ordered and now find they shipped them today and they are not expected to arrive until MONDAY! That is 4 days the poor things will be in transit. I have already sent an email pointing this out. I have had good success ordering from Heirloom- just got a new rose from them today and I already have it planted- Ginger Syllabub. Still looking for easy trellis plans or an inexpensive place to order one. Heirloom however doesn't carry the H. Nevard. Did you order yours online? Brandy

Altissimo in this garden acts as a terriffic 'accent' creature....very angular plant as well as bloom. Those singles manage to define space in great contrast to more rounded things. Mine is set in front of a big old MAC & amongst some large white Paniculata Hydrangeas....love that single deep red amongst all the heavy nodding whites.

Altho not as well as Cass, I too have been opening the plant up by stretching the canes apart. It is healthy here in a completely no spray garden showing only occasional bs, never defoliating.

Ginger Syllabub is beautiful. I wonder how large it will be eventually. It's a modern, so you might post to the Roses forum.

Thank you rubrifolia and berndoodle. According to the catalog, Ginger Syllabub grows to 10-12 ft tall and 6-8 ft wide. The variation in color I have seen in various pics is of some concern- I prefer the rather peachy color in the catalog. I am worried about where the shadow is going to be cast. It will get the afternoon sun the most and my flower bed is on the left side of it and my veg garden is behind that. The sun will be approaching from the right side and in front. Well, time will tell...I plan the best I can and hope it works out! Brandy

Mine is the absolute palest apricot imaginable, so pale I think the ARS would call it a white or near white. And I never saw a quartered bloom, but maybe as my plant matures, I'll see more form.

Well, in addition to the catalog pic, there are the photos at helpmefind.com. Most of them show a pale apricot. Is it likely to have even 1 bloom this yr? And how fast is yours growing? Brandy

I just planted this rose in the ground after buying it own root 2 years ago. I am sorta scared of this one - the thorns and the strength of its canes. It has vigorous growth since it went in the ground and although I love the flowers, I seriously doubt I will keep it. I purchased a nice cedar pyramid for it but am procrastinating on assembling and setting it up for a rose I just don't feel right about. Maybe I will hold off until fall...

I hope it works out for you peachiekeen. Mine haven't arrived yet and Wayside is refunding the express shipping charge. Brandy

I just 'adopted' a potted Altissimo today. It has been rather neglected lately but had one giant perfect bloom wide open on top. It glowed. The plant is about 2 feet tall and going to my mother-in-law's because she actually has a yard. I, of course, will have visitation rights. For being put on 'ignore' mode it looks not too bad, considering.
Anyway thanks for the feedback and pictures. I am cheered.

I rec'd all 3 Altissimo and have potted them up. Only one of them is showing any enthusiasm, the other two have 1 sprout each and it is not a healthy looking one. I have them in the shade as directed and am hoping they will all make it. This is a powerful reminder of why I do NOT like bareroot roses! I am going to stick to plants from now on. Bands have done well for me and at least when it arrives I can look at the leaves and see if it looks healthy or not. I really appreciate everyone's feedback on this rose. Thanks! Brandy

My budded Altissimo began to show symptoms of RMV after about year 4. It was bright enough to see from space. My OR plant is virus indexed, so presumably it is free of known and testable mosaic virii. No symptoms yet.

Good luck w/ it Berndoodle. 2 of mine still look dormant or dead... Brandy