Milieu, I have to come to the defense of your state flower, 'Cherokee Rose' (Rosa laevigata). It is not invasive, and doesn't appear on any state or federal list of invasive species/noxious weeds that I'm aware of. Unfortunately, 'Cherokee Rose' (except for its leaf structure), looks almost identical to, thrives in the same areas, and blooms at roughly the same time as Rosa bracteata, 'McCartney Rose' (aka 'Chickasaw Rose'). 'McCartney Rose' grows MUCH more rampantly than 'Cherokee' (which itself is a robust grower), and has become a problem in some areas of the South. Few people are aware that these are 2 distinct roses; consequently, 'Cherokee' gets the bad rap that only 'McCartney' deserves. Like Rosa multiflora, R. bracteata was once planted extensively by government agencies as a means of erosion control, etc. At present, I don't think any rose species appear on the USDA list of noxious weeds. R. multiflora is listed as noxious by at least one state (maybe more). Incidentally, 'McCartney Rose' is not to be confused with 'The McCartney Rose', the smelly pinkish HT named in honor of Sir Paul. Here is a link that might be useful: Cherokee & McCartney Roses

I had this rose in my Sherman Oaks garden approximately 15 miles from the beach near the Sepulveda Pass. The rust was so awful, I removed it in the middle of August, because every part of the plant rusted including the canes, the petals, the guard petals, the foliage, the twigs, and the thorns. Oddly enough, the first few years it did not rust, but once the rust set in, the plant was practically a monument to the disease. Ten years ago in Paris, I think I saw this rose in every possible place, including containers in private gardens and apartment complexes. Beautiful and lovely, but I have vowed not to suffer rust after having both Eden and Playboy. Five miles to the east, my friends in Toluca Lake have both Playboy and Eden, but never get rust or mildew; I think it is because there is a mandatory breeze blowing all pathogens to North Hollywood. JimD

Yes, ADK=Adirondack. :-) Just went to visited 2 local nurseries on my scooter, but they don't sell roses. There is another nursery 10 miles away, it might have roses. I will check it out later by car, didn't bring my big bike, riding a little 50cc Honda Ruckus, top speed 42 mph, can only carry 1 rose (potted). :-) It's pretty cold at night and morning, now warmed up to 72. I haven't seen any roses in people's gardens here. I will post some photos of Palatine nursery next week :-) SoFL rose, thanks for the info. The shipping is not cheap, I'd wait for Palatine in Sept for bare root roses, unless I find some bargains next week at Palatine. There is a $25 charge for a certificate entering the U.S. with live plants. I will find one sooner or later., really love this rose. :-)

That's funny! "Deer resistant roses"! LOL! Like "dog resistant organic plant food". Banksiae is the most "deer resistant" I've encountered. I believe it's because it isn't succulent and they don't recognize it. But, they WILL browse it if nothing else is around. Perhaps that is why someone thought Roxburghii might also be resistant? Mermaid was successful in Pacific Palisades, but I think that was primarily due to it growing fast enough and being sufficiently prickled to outrun the deer. And, it's yellow and repeat blooming. If deer are a problem around that ailing cherry tree, you're either going to have to enclose it in chicken wire or some other barrier or use chemical means to protect it. You might check out the Repellex Systemic Animal Repellent to see if something like it might help. If possible, you could also plant a field of lavender, rosemary, santolina or some other offensively smelly plant surrounding the rose to help prevent the deer from devouring it. Their sense of smell is their primary defense mechanism. A large area of stinky planting jams their radar, preventing them from smelling nearby predators and often helps protect the plants they surround. But, seriously, roses ARE "deer food" and WILL require protection if there are deer around and they feel safe browsing the area. Good luck.