I have two of this rose growing up the Western side of my house along with Casino & Graham Thomas. David Austin has introduced some wonderful yellow roses but this cultivar gets my vote for the being the most beautiful. The flower form is perfection and the blooms last well as vase flowers. The delicate coloring is perhaps my favorite selling point: in cool temps the entire bloom is an exceptionally clear pastel yellow, while during the summer the bloom turns white with a pastel yellow "blush" in the middle. The tea rose fragrance is strong and very refreshing on a hot summer day. A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND: The growth habit is typical climber (although he can be pruned into a tall upright shrub) but be forewarned the canes are only flexible when young. They will stiffen up with age and at that point have a tendency to snap when bent. The rose is also best grown own root. Grafted, he is overly vigorous. Lastly, don't overfeed him with chemical fertilizers. I've found this encourages growth at the expense of blooming. He really does do better long term with organic fertilizers like alfalfa. If you haven't guessed already I truly love this rose. It gives me all the beauty of the Tea-Noisette climbers but on a plant that can handle my zone 6 winters. Image of The Pilgrim by Penhalion-z5-IL at Hortiplex.

I have no experience yet with The Pilgrim, but after researching it carefully, I ordered it for delivery this spring, and if it lives up to everything I read about it, it should be wonderful. My research (including comments from this forum) indicated The Pilgrim has good disease-resistance and is hardy to Zone 5. The blooms are supposed to be quite lovely and it has good re-bloom. I want it as a climber and therefore have been concerned about the opposite problem--that it wouldn't grow tall enough to climb the pillar very well. In the past, our winters have kept some eager beavers in check, but this winter we haven't had any winter, so I'm not sure how "global warming" will affect the future growth of The Pilgrim and other Austins that are listed as both shrubs and as climbers. I do have an Austin Mortimer Sackler that falls into both categories, and I'm trying to keep it as a taller shrub. It would like to grow taller, but I trim it back a bit about mid-summer to keep it around the 6 ft. height. Other than needing to keep my eye on it so that it doesn't go out of control, it has been a terrific taller shrub. But I wouldn't want to try to keep it shorter than that--you'd have to trim it so often that it would have a hard time putting out much bloom of any kind. Kate

I planted this poor little thing last October, long after it should have been tucked in. I promptly forgot where I put it, and tramped on it several times before it emerged this spring. It must be a fighter, just not a beauty this year!!! It can only improve. Jan

Our Pilgrim came from Hortico, and I suspect it was not virused. Sadly, after the first year or so, it, too, began to grow 14-ft. canes, and bloom out on the ends. Tried self-pegging ... It grew vine-line canes that hid in the grass and wrapped itself around your ankles . . . The third time it did that to DH, it was GONE. But the blooms were breathtakingly lovely. If it behaves for you, you'll love it. And your Baronne Prevost makes me more certain that "Historic Powell House" is that: