David Austin Roses Zone 4?

16 years ago

I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck growing David Austin english roses in Zone 4 (Minneapolis/St.Paul area). I have been drooling over his Graham Thomas, Golden Celebration and Charlotte. I would also be interested in any other suggestion for yellow double/full bloom (hope that is the correct term) rose bushes that might be more hardy for my location.

Thank you in advance for your help!!

Gardengal101

Here is a link that might be useful: David Austin Roses

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nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska

4 years ago

One thing to keep in mind when considering winter hardiness of any roses, including Austins, is whether you're talking about winter survival with or without reliable snow cover during the coldest parts of winter. Some things that I can't overwinter here in zone 5 without snow cover can sail through the winter with surviving cane in zone 4 if you have snow cover. For instance I'm on my fourth or fifth try to overwinter Golden Celebration, third try for Mary Rose, and second try for Brother Cadfael, and I've not been able to keep them alive, much less climbing. BC wasn't in the best of conditions so I'll be trying him again BTW. Under the snow it's always 32 degrees or so, and that is a survivable temperature for a wide variety of roses.

I have some virtual zone 4 areas on the north and east sides of my house where the bulbs are always at least 2 weeks later than other beds, so I can report on Austins that are hardy for me without reliable snow cover in those spots. I can vouch for the following in my dry zone 4 (virtual):

Teasing Georgia

Lady of Shalott

Carding Mill

Tamora

Queen Nefertiti

Queen of Sweden

I am reasonably confident that the following Austin roses would survive zone 4 given that they are cane to tip hardy in my zone 5:

Heritage

The Generous Gardener (infrequent blooms)

Spirit of Freedom

The Mayflower

Gertrude Jekyll (but she almost NEVER blooms for me)

Scepter'd Isle

The Alnwick Rose

Charles Darwin

Olivia Rose Austin

St. Swithun

The Poet's WifeTess of the D'Ubervilles (but she doesn't at all climb for me)

Darcy Bussell

Benjamin Britten,

Christopher Marlowe

The Shepherdess

Leander

The Dark Lady and Tradescant - lose some canes but consistent survival

I have recently had decent canes remaining but it's too early to know for sure: James Galway, Lordly Oberon, Wildeve, William Morris, A Shropshire Lad (in its fourth year but VERY slow to think about climbing), Charity, Chianti, Cressida, Princess Anne,

Dies to the ground for me but survives in zone 5, may be iffy in zone 4: Immortal Juno, Boscobel, Tranquillity, Fisherman's Friend, Lillian Austin, Princess Alexandra of Kent, St. Alban, The Reeve, The Squire, Wenlock, Young Lycidias, Munstead Wood, Pat Austin, Charlotte, Crown Princess Margaretha (never blooms without surviving cane), Happy Child, Eglantyne, Pretty Jessica, Wollerton Old Hall, Jude the Obscure, Sharifa Asma, Winchester Cathedral, Ambridge Rose, Admired Miranda, Susan Williams-Ellis, L.D. Braithwaite,

I have had to give a protected spot or otherwise had trouble overwintering in my zone 6 pocket: Graham Thomas (agree with the above posters), Abraham Darby, Strawberry Hill (sorry Straw! snow cover may make a difference), Potter & Moore, Molineux, Claire Austin, Evelyn, Prospero, Sophy's Rose, Lichfield Angel, William Shakespeare 2000, Crocus Rose and Comte des Champagne (might have been a poor location issue for the last two),

Can't overwinter even in my virtual zone 6 - though some I only tried once: English Garden, Radio Times, Othello, The Prince, Lady Emma Hamilton, Claire Rose, Fair Bianca, Falstaff, Jubilee Celebration, Wise Portia, Grace, Noble Antony. So far Pegasus, Kathryn Morley, Perdita, Port Sunlight, Tea Clipper, and Sister Elizabeth have all died in zone 5 and I haven't wanted them badly enough to try again in zone 6 territory.

Obviously there are zone 5 and even 4 posters that can overwinter some of my problem children very well, and at least some posters in zone 4 who have stellar photos of CPM that blooms all season, vs. mine that never blooms at all though puts out 10' of cane every summer after dying to the ground. So moisture, snow cover, wind, location, stress, water and a variety of other factors can contribute to winter survival or not. Mostly I don't protect my Austins much and I don't think it makes that much difference for me in my zone. I put windbreaks at the edges of the beds an cover all the rose beds to a few inches with leaves when possible, but that's about it.
So YMMV, but in general if you don't have high blackspot pressures Austins can be good roses for cold zones.

Cynthia

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Comments (14)

devon_gardener
16 years ago
Gardengal101, I think those roses are going to be hardy
enough for you. I've read posts from lots of people in
your zone that grow those yellow Austin's and have success
with them there. I hope people in your zone will add their
input for you, but I say, go for it!!!
AnneCecilia z5 MI
16 years ago
I grow a number of Austins successfully here in zone 4 of Michigan (northern tip of the lower peninsula.) I do not winter protect but rely on deep planting, some mulch and (mostly) reliable snow cover. That said, I often prune close to the soil in spring but they keep comin' back:

Abraham Darby
Gertrude Jekyll
Glamis Castle
Graham Thomas
Heritage
Lilian Austin
Mary Rose
Mrs. Doreen Pike
Tamora

Graham Thomas is a favorite, but to be perfectly honest I have lost him to winter a couple times over the years - I'm currently on my third plant of GT. Still, I think that he is well worth replanting! (I suppose if I would make the effort to winter protect, he would face better odds.) I presume other yellow Austins such as you mentioned would be comparable to GT in survival rates unprotected. I have a co-worker who overwintered Golden Celebration last year with no big problem, but we really had more of a zone 5 winter so that's no true test, I'm afraid.

The rest of the Austins I grow are very hardy in so far as they have no trouble coming back from their severe spring pruning. Mary Rose always wins hands down for most live cane.
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twohuskies
16 years ago
I agree completely with what AnneCecilia says regarding the Austins. I also give mine the same type of winter protection as she does which is quite minimal. I haven't lost any yet but a few have been slow to regrow each spring and haven't amounted to much. Molineux was one that didn't come back very well and I finally got rid of him.

The varities I grow:
Abraham Darby
Charlotte*
Chianti*
Christopher Marlowe**
Crocus Rose**
Eglantyne*
Graham Thomas
Heritage**
Jude The Obscure
Leander
Noble Antony*
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Sharifa Asma**
Tamora
The Dark Lady
The Mayflower***
The Prince
Tradescant
Wildeve

The varieties above with a * by them have come through winter the best and have been vigorous enough to bounce back after being killed down quite low. Jude the Obscure and Graham Thomas are the only two right now that aren't doing so well. Both are own root and maybe grafted plants would spring back and grow more quickly.. Personally, I like the Austins enough to take chances on hardiness and so far I've been very happy with the results.
mike_rivers
16 years ago
Gardengal, the page you linked to at the Austin site is a reasonably reliable guide to the most cold-hardy Austins. Crocus Rose and Mayflower are two of the hardiest Austins. Mrs. Doreen Pike is in a class by herself, as might be expected from her rugosa parentage.
chefcdp
16 years ago
Well he is not yellow, but William Shakespeare is certainly worth growing in MN zone 4a. He had only the slightest tip damage this past winter.

Regards,

Charles
veilchen
16 years ago
I will second that G. Thomas is not the hardiest, but I have had two Charlottes for 5 years now.
gardengal101
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you everyone for being such great enablers, I can't wait to get to work on my new planting bed and order up some David Austin roses!! If anyone has any pictures to share of these roses in their garden, I would LOVE to see them!!
ich_bin_nathan
16 years ago
Be careful though,

The only one I know of that is truly hardy here is Applejack. It is a large rose worth looking into...If you dont mulch them in the winter you have a fair chance of losing them. Just remember to mulch mulch mulch.
twohuskies
16 years ago
here's a link to My Photobucket Account
There are quite a few pictures of Austins in there. If it would help to see some in person you are welcome to visit my garden - just send me an email through my member page.
canadian_rose
16 years ago
I'm in zone 3a. I plant deeply, mulch and provide snow cover. These are the Austins that I have found to be LESS hardy:

1. Molineux
2. The Dark Lady
3. Abe Darby

These are the ones that have done the BEST

1. Brother Cadfael - wow - came through really well!
2. Gertrude Jekyll
3. Golden Celebrations - great rose
4. L.D. Braithwraite
5. Mary Rose

There are lots that I still haven't tried and lots that are new to me this year.

So if you try some from my bottom list, you may not have to winter protect them.

Hope this helps.

Carol
tenor_peggy
16 years ago
I had problems with Austin roses back in zone 4/5 (Wisconsin). A couple, like Heritage and Mary Rose, were cane hardy but I found I had to winter protect others like a HT to get them thru an average Green Bay, WI winter. I found Graham Thomas to be very tender. Most of the Austins have a lot of cane winter kill but will bounce back once the soil warms in the spring. However, because they die back practically down to the ground over the winter they didn't get much larger than a HT by the end of the season...
hortensia-bleu
15 years ago
I have nurtured the pillar rose Abraham Darby for 10 years by tipping it and covering with leaves/mulch/soil each winter. The incredibly beautiful blooms with intoxicating fragrance are worth the effort. Without winter protection I lost 2 out of the original 3 that I started with in 1998. Next year I'll give Golden Celebration a try , too. ( I hope that won't require tipping , however).
HU-553035413
4 years ago
We live in Eden Prairie, MN, zone 4. So far only Gertrude Jekyll have survived. A very tough lady!

David Austin Roses Zone 4?

nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska

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devon_gardener

AnneCecilia z5 MI

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