Angel Face....too much Blackspot?

16 years ago

Every time I see a picture of Angel Face, I wish I had it. But I read what a BS nightmare she is. Worse than Heirloom? Still worth having?

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Molineux

16 years ago

ANGEL FACE is the very essence of femininity. Sadly, she puts everything she has into blooming. This rose is very capable of blooming itself to death. I learned this lesson the hard way. I flat out killed it the first time by treating it like a garden shrub. ANGEL FACE must be sprayed, watered and fed in regular cycles to support its furious bloom habit. The foliage is very prone to black spot. If clean leaves are a goal then she will need to be sprayed every week with a fungicide designed specifically for black spot (I used Mancozeb). Water weekly unless it rains. She also benefits greatly from organic treatments. I've never been able to grow the rose as tall as those in Rosebud's pic because frankly I'm forgetful/lazy about putting down the Mills Magic Mix (alfalfa). Mine hovered at between two and three feet tall, which is not really a bad thing. Short roses have their uses. For example, she is stunning in the front of the flower border, cultivated in a big fancy pot, or grown as a standard (tree rose). If you grow this rose own root make sure to get a virus free clone, and at least for the first year remove all buds to divert the plant's energy into growing rather than blooming itself into oblivion.

Is she worth the extra effort? Absolutely. I haven't grown this rose for about five years and I miss her dearly. The dusky lavender color doesn't gray out like so many other mauve roses. The ruffled petals are especially charming and the flower form looks good from bud to fully open bloom. In fact I like the mature flowers most of all because the ruffled mauve petals open up into a gorgous frame for the golden yellow stamens in the center. The contrast is striking. Then there is the fragrance. ANGEL FACE is a Gamble winner and trust me, she deserved that honor. The Damask base note has great depth while the fresh citrusy top note dances on the olfactory nerves like a prima ballerina.

A virus indexed ANGEL FACE is available at VINTAGE GARDENS (http://vintagegardens.com). There is also a climbing sport.

Image of Angel Face by Teka2rjleffel at The Rose Gallery.
{{gwi:321574}}

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Comments (23)

jerijen
16 years ago
I don't know about Blackspot, but it is in most cases not a plant of great vigor.
Great fragrance. Lovely bloom. Not as much of a death wish as, say, Sterling Silver.
But still a consumptive.

Jeri
lesdvs9
16 years ago
I have to defend it, against all the negative reports I thought I had a good chance to grow it successfully where I live. Mine will not be a year old until next month some time, currently it's 50" tall and 56" wide and has performed terrifically over the season. All my roses repeat every 4 weeks since Mar 29, but this one even stopped with a flush after Aug and has been blooming non stop.

I'm looking forward to seeing what it will do next year. I'm glad I got it, I'm really pleased with it. It was my best large rose bloom during the worst of the heat. Pure lasting color and blooms.
Leslie
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re: "Regarding the use of ortho-phenylphenol to control blackspot on roses. I am not familiar with such a use. I did not even find that it is registered for such use. Do you know of such a registration? " Well, I brought it up because it's one of the least toxic (and most widely used) fungicides that are already approved for use on food crops for human consumption. Probably wishful thinking on my part as far as blackspot prevention. It's allowed on lots of food crops, notably citrus. If you've noticed, oranges and grapefruit that come in mesh bags or boxes actually list which pesticides were applied, more often than not. (usually thiabendazole, imazilil, and o-phenylphenol under its various names.) It's applied post-harvest to delay/retard/postpone mold growth. Of the roughly 500 'approved pesticides' it has one of the highest tolerances (i.e. it's allowed at higher levels than most others, often >20 ppm). Most of it stays on the citrus peel exterior, so there's not much in orange juice etc. It's a phenolic compound with no chlorines or other halogens, not an organophosphate, not a triazine etc. And being a phenol, it's an organic chemical compound, at least in strict Chemistry terminology. (Please note, I did not state it was 100% safe and completely harmless.) It was the active ingredient in Lysol (and Amphyl) for many years, and it didn't generate a lot of adverse events or reports. Over the years they switch from phenols to Quats and other disinfectant antiseptics. If it worked on blackspot, we'd have heard about it by now (from UC extension and the thousands of other groups). Back to the subject of chlorthalonil - thanks for pointing out the "Apply only during late evening" admonition. I hadn't heard of it but will now dutifully adhere.
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michaelg
16 years ago
Probably not much different from Heirloom. I imagine you can grow it successfully in Kentucky if you use one of the best fungicides. It is one of the most delightful flowers.
Maryl (Okla. Zone 7a)
16 years ago
I grew several for many many years. It was one of my most prolific roses and simply beautiful in the landscape. And if you keep up a fairly regular (say not off by more then a few days) spray schedule A.F.will stay clean (also it can PM in the spring, so start spraying early). I've had other roses that were worse then Angel Face for Blackspot, but since I'm trying to get more disease resistant roses, when I redesigned a couple of my beds these very Blackspot prone roses were not replaced. I still miss Angel Face. I've not seen anything quite like her.
ehann
16 years ago
Rootstock makes a difference. I bought one grafted to Fortuniana, and couldn't believe the difference in vigor. I now have three! I just pruned the tallest: it was almost five feet high and four feet wide. It likes the heat. Mine stays clean with a regular (and I do mean REGULAR) spray program with Bayer advanced.

It's more tolerant of heat than Heirloom, which blows really fast.
ceterum
16 years ago
Angel Face was probably my worst, most blackspot prone rose. True when I had 3 AF I used Immunox and the newest fungicides are much better. Still, I am not, somehow, inclined to start a new experiment with AF. I was relieved when they died.
carla17
16 years ago
Doesn't do well for me. I just posted about another rose that doesn't do well for me. I am only keeping AF until I plant another rose there.
AF and Heirloom are beautiful to me.

Carla
sandy808
16 years ago
Beautiful, but too disease prone.

Sandy
dublinbay z6 (KS)
16 years ago
Disgustingly BS prone. I'm no longer even tempted by its pretty bloom--I take one look at it, and instantly imagine it breaking out in black spots like an acne-plagued teenager.

Kate
ramblinrosez7b
16 years ago
I'm taking out 2 Angel Face Climbers, one Heirloom and 2 Royal Amethysts next year. These are very prone to blackspot. That leaves me with one purple.....Blue Girl and we will see how that goes.
User
Original Author
16 years ago
I guess if you want purple, you have to suffer.
sunnishine
16 years ago
I give it bayer 3 in one and it stays clean and blooms continuously. It is only 6 months old so we will see on height. probably about 2 x 3 right now. wider than tall. I love it though. I love the ruffled shape.

Try purple passion. Stronger scent cleaner but darker purple.
seil zone 6b MI
16 years ago
I have it and it is a black spot magnet for me BUT it keeps blooming even when it's devoid of leaves and even in the long hot drought we had this summer. I also can't shovel prune it because of very scentimental reasons. It was mom's and she loved the blooms and scent very much. It always reminds me of her.
michelle_co
16 years ago
Bwa ha ha! It grows clean (no spray) and is hardy here, on likely virused root stock. And it blooms alot.

Strange but true!

Cheers,
Michelle
kaye
16 years ago
The first one was a disaster after 3 years..the second has proven a much more vigorous clone after another 3 years, though still a weak sister. I keep it because it looks so awesome with Distant Drums and does moderately well here with a regular spray program. I have to admit I let it get too much shade this year and it made a difference. I may try one on fortuniana just because I do like the blooms so well.
jim_w_ny
16 years ago
Angel Face was one of my favorite roses in S. CA. No BS.

As mentioned time and again it all depends on where your live. Dry climate, no problem, humid I guess forget it.
rosebud
16 years ago
Any questions?

Here is a link that might be useful:
User
Original Author
16 years ago
That is stunning. I will have to consider. I guess I like a challenge.
rosebud
16 years ago
Tag team enabling, somebody is in deep trouble, LOL!!!

ps, Molinuex, you really must have another. Every garden needs one DIVA!
irish_rose_grower
16 years ago
All this talk about Angel Face is making me want her! The blooms really are beautiful. Very girly.

I wonder how it would grow on rootstock from Pickering (assuming Pickering has it)
Molineux
16 years ago
Steve,

I already have two DIVAS: Evelyn and Rouge Royale. But you are right. I do need this rose. The only reason I haven't purchased another is because I'm out of space. ANGEL FACE will have to wait until the tree in the front yard gets chopped down, which should happen in 2009. This years tax refund goes toward the old oak in the back yard. Unfortunately, the future back garden is a "hot" colours design. Definately not a good place for ANGEL FACE.

I hate trees.
User
Original Author
16 years ago
This doesn't sound like a rose for me for THIS year. I don't spray weekly, only bi-weekly and I have 2 little kids: no time. But I will definitely put her on the list for future.

Angel Face....too much Blackspot?

Molineux

Comments (23)

jerijen

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Angel Face....too much Blackspot?

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