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Sunny Knock Out vs Easy Elegance Snowdrift

15 years ago

Hello,

I finally boiled my rose selection down to 2 options.

1) Sunny Knock out

2) Easy Elegance Snowdrift

Both meet my criteria for hardiness, color and bloom cycle.

Since they are "newer" selections I can't seem to find much info on their growth habit and actual size in my region. One site said to avoid pruning on the sunny knock out? I thought that was odd.

Anybody have a thought on which one might be better for maintaining a 2.5" full and "roundish" habit with flowers that cover the plant from top to bottom? These will be in shrub border applications.

Thanks!

Featured Answer

enchantedrosez5bma

6 years ago

I agree with mad- My knockouts do well but are not without winter cane damage. I had Sunny Knockout but it didn't survive when our unseasonably warm winter stretch reverted to normal winter. Pink KO and Blush seem the hardiest for me. I'm Z5b or 6a depending on which zone map I check. Easy Elegance suffers a lot of winter cane damage here. For me Yellow Submarine and Music Box seem the hardiest. By far my hardiest roses are most Kordes, and DA's Windermere and Heritage. Windermere flowers nearly continually even with only about 5 1/2 hours of sun and suffers little to no winter dieback. I get no black spot on her in my no spray high pressure Massachusetts garden. Her flowers are smaller than most DA's and her scent is only moderate but she is a carefree rose and one of the best performers in my garden. So much so I purchased 3 more own root form David Austin this spring. Kordes Solero Vigerosa, a yellow, is hardy here but still small since she was a band purchased last spring. Kordes Innocencia Vigerosa does well here and has white single blossoms and super healthy foliage. She flowers pretty steadily but not constantly. This is also own root band and two years old. So far so good.

Sharon

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Comments (6)

roses_more_roses
15 years ago
I don't have either of these, but I have been very happy with the few Easy Elegance roses that I have. I only wish that they were available at more sources. I am not very comfortable about ordering from Nature Hills, which is the main online source. I almost ordered a few from them becuase they have some one gallon size for only $8.95. But the last thing I want to spend money on is a bad online rose experience, especially when so many of the great sources need the business. Maybe someone here has experience with Nature Hills. Better yet maybe someone else will be able to tell you about your choices.
Diana
dr_andre_phufufnik
15 years ago
I have had both, but only Snowdrift remains. Knockout isn't all that hardy. I am in zone 4b and my collection of five were slowly reduced by winter kill to zero in three years. It's a surprise to first-time growers here because they assume the rose is hardy since it was developed in Wisconsin.

Snowdrift comes through winter fine, even surviving rabbit to-the-ground razing in the spring. You will like it.
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whaas_5a
Original Author
15 years ago
I continue to hear issues with Knockout in zone 4. Although there are multiple nurseries that advertise Knockout as zone 4 but on the official Knockout webpage it says zone 5. For the record the breeder, Radler, is from Milwaukee and they are zone 5, ecspecially closer to the lake.

The nursery who recommended EE snowdrift is actually in zone 4 and has reported good experiences. Easy Elegance also claims zone 4.

Surprised I haven't heard anything about the Northern Accents Rose line by Bailies nursery. I can't seem to find much on it either.
mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
15 years ago
From personal experience, in my part of the world Knock Outs are zone 6. Unless the nurseries have been growing a given rose for a few years, you really should be taking their hardiness ratings with a big grain of salt. 'Seeing is believing', and if you can't go and see, you can't believe.
Alan
6 years ago
We've been growing knockout roses in WI (deep into zone 4) for at least the past 5 years. All have thrived and bloomed prolifically. We also have a few of the Easy Elegance Mystic Fairy which is even more profic and amazing.

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