Mrs. B.R.Cant is in my front yard.

I agree. And she looks 1,000,000 times better as well.

How can the 2 even be compared?

Mutabilis (also mentioned in the article as having poor resistance to blackspot) really is a disease-free rose in Southern California -- but that's a different kettle of fish.

So used to thinking of it as disease-free, I was surprised to see a whole row of Mutabilis in TX (Dallas/Ft Worth area) completely defoliated by blackspot. (Note: Smith's Parish, next to them, was immaculate.)

Location, Location, Location, eh? :-) Still a great rose out here.

Jeri

(See below -- I've circled the Smith's Parish's)

No surprise to me; completely different climate but Mrs BR Cant is disease free, blooms constantly and bulletproof in my garden.

Would not be without her.

Jeri, you see Smiths Parish starting to take off...wow

While KOs may not get black spot, they always look 'dirty' to me. Unless they are actually in bloom, they have horrible bush form and when they are covered in spent blooms, just don't look good. Pruning them is a real chore, unless you want to use a hedge clipper. I'd rather use a chain saw.

Seconded what Jeri and others have said. It is all about location and suitability. I just ran out and took pictures of my pink double KOs and BR Cant. I will post in the new few posts. The winner here in Northern Jersey is clear, to me at least.

KO, post rose midge

BR Cant. Survived the polar vortex, but unhappy here and has probably been California dreaming all season. Very bs resistant though.

One of three blooms on Cant now. It should be a magnificiant rose, but just not here, growing outdoors as the winter is too cold and the rain two heavy (ruining the delicate petals)...

Location, location and location....

I'm really surprised they ranked KO that high, without Chilli Thrips protection -- it's an absolute martyr to them, and I can't imagine keeping one alive for a year, here, without insecticide. And we are less than 20 miles from their test plot with identical weather. On the other hand, nearly all of the lesser varieties mentioned are less susceptible to chilli thrips.

Jeri, I was taken aback by the comment about Mutabillis because just about everything in my yard here in SC gets blackspot except for Mutabillis! Mine is on the opposite side of my acre yard from most othe roses, but its been very healthy for me without spraying. My Mrs B.R. Cant is too young to comment about yet though but it seems strange to compare it to a knockout as they are very different in size and form.

My Rose Society cares for a few roses at a local park, one is Mutabilis, and it does not have blackspot that I've seen. I have one, but it's still in a pot. Mrs BR Cant will get spotty, but not defoliate.

Now, compare this to a KO....

Yes, that really is interesting about Mutabilis - in my Dallas garden it is totally blackspot free.

Buford -- what a breathtaking rose!!! Wish I had the climate for it....

buford, your gorgeous Mrs. B.R. Cant compared to mine is a perfect testament to how important rain is to roses. I have two and on both the canes are half-bare and there are no flowers, even though it's cooler now. You seem to have the perfect conditions for it.

Ingrid

The 'Duchesse de Brabant" was a first runner up.

About comparing personal observations with the results of the report, there is no possible comparison of the results of the referenced trial with results observed in a "good home." At least, that is certainly my impression of the trial. The roses were severely stress tested; the roses were not coddled in ANY way.

As I read it:

"Plants were provided with minimal amounts of water and fertilizer, no control for diseases and insects, and no grooming or deadheading."

I think of it like being planted in a graveyard and subsequently being forgotten and untended for years.

Surviving such conditions in Florida is quite a feat.

Thanks ingrid. I am planning to have two, one on each side of the driveway. I will have lots of room when everything is done. I'm a very lax waterer. The teas usually skulk during the hottest parts of July/August, but the spring and fall they do very well.

I have Duchesse de Brabant too. I really love her, but man, she is a thrip magnet. This spring I managed to get a flush out of her because it was too cold for the thrips yet. But she has them now. I hate thrips.

Thanks for the Thrip feedback Buford, I to look was about to look Duchesse de Brabant up, but i'm not interested in thrip magnets!! This is the kind of feedback I'm so grateful for from posters on this forum!

Location is the key. KO and other carefree roses are the main color givers in my rose gardens.