Heritage is a beautiful rose--but might need to be sprayed occasionally for blackspot fungus. Some of Austin's earlier roses, like Heritage, are incredibly lovely but not always that healthy.

The good news is that, like most of Austin's roses, it is hardy to Zone 5--at least according to helpmefind.com (see the link below--lots of good info. there).

Good luck. I assume you know, but just in case, roses like plenty of sunshine, though if you get killer intensity from the western sun (like we do in Kansas), some late afternoon shade might be welcome.

Kate

Here is a link that might be useful: Heritage--at helpmefind.com

Hi Alex

Glad to have you pop into the Antique Roses forum, and as an experienced gardener you should be well aware that plants in general are addictive, and particularly roses as far as we think. In my zone 5, Heritage is reliably hardy and blooms reasonably often in a part shade location. I say my zone 5, since there actually is some regional variability in hardiness across some regions that suggests differing plans. For instance, upstate NY and parts of the eastern seaboard have touchier winter survival in zone 5 for some Austins, and they may need to plant "bare-root" roses that have a little quicker jump start on growth in wet zones than "own-root" roses that are a little better at coming back from being frozen to the ground in my dry zone. Also, the blackspot pressure that Kate mentions varies a lot by region and moisture levels - I don't worry about it much here in Nebraska but the eastern seaboard has much more trouble. If you want to let us know roughly where you're located, we can advise you accordingly.

As for your picture, I can't necessarily identify it exactly. If you're sure it's an Austin rose, it might be Glamis Castle, since that's got a more loose form like what you have pictured. He has a lot of roses, though, and many other old garden roses have this look, so don't take my word for it.

Cynthia

Kate - that's a great link, thanks! Heritage is looking better and better. It has that very full, old-fashioned look that I was imagining. And it says 'almost thornless'! An unlooked for plus. It does state zone 5b, which is, as I said, pushing it a bit. Though, really, it's been a very long time since our temps fell below minus 15. The sunshine issue is not a problem; all day sun ranging to 8 hour sun in various parts of my garden. Unless someone else comes up with some major drawback, I may give it a try!

- Alex

Cynthia - didn't see your post till after I submitted mine. First, thanks for your input; yes, gardening in general is definitely addictive!

I'm in mid- Michigan. Definitely, as I said, zone a to zone b; take your pick. It has gotten down to minus 21 in my 20+ years here, but not for over a decade, and in the past 5 years at least, I don't really remember anything past minus 11 or so. Plus, it's possible that I have a micro-climate working in my actual garden area. Located right at the edge of a slope down to a marshland, and with shelter of trees on three sides, though open to the south, it does seem to stay a bit warmer than the rest of the yard. I haven't taken a thermometer out there to check it - maybe I should.

Tell me a bit more about the bareroot as opposed to ownroot - would Heritage roses be selling both ways, do you think?

Lastly, didn't mean to mislead you - that's not an Austin rose in my pic - that I know of anyway. It's just a pic of an unknown rose that I have growing and have managed not to kill for several years. :) Wish I did know what it was. It roots easily from cuttings, too, and is pretty carefree.

- Alex

Hi Alex

Ah good - in Michigan you should be in good shape for a rose like Heritage or most other Austins. Seil posts here frequently from mid-Michigan and she's zone 6 (I think she's near Detroit). The lakes moderate things a lot in Michigan weather even though it gets cold and wet at times, and there don't seem to be the extremes of blackspot trouble that they get on the east coast, though few of us are immune to it. Heritage should be fine even if you're actually 5a or even less.

I'll have to defer to other GW folks on the rose ID - I'm rather poor at it generally anyway. You might start another thread specifically for the Rose ID, since folks might not look for it under this title.

As for bareroot (grafted) vs. ownroot, Heritage is probably available either way from various companies. Companies like Chamblees and Roses Unlimited and Heirloom and Burlington Roses and Rogue Valley all sell own root roses that have been raised from cuttings of a given rose, like any other perennial. The latter three sell "bands" - somewhat smaller plants in pots maybe 3" square around and 6" deep. They're younger plants and might take a little extra time to set down a root structure, but often it's the primary way to find less common roses, and they usually catch up to larger potted roses quickly within the summer if happy. Chamblees and Roses Unlimited and Antique Rose Emporium among others sell gallon-sized pots that are usually somewhat older plants that take off more quickly. Chamblees has particularly reasonable prices, though the others have better selections within their respective specialties. The benefit of own-root roses is that they are the same rose down to the roots and will reliably regrow as that rose if the canes die down to the soil line (as perennials do). Also, ownroot roses are easier to produce so they may have both a wider variety of plants available at somewhat lower prices than grafted. The down side is that they may take off slower than grafted in blooms, because they need to set down an established root base. Also, some roses (notably Hybrid Tea varieties) can be distinctly wimpy on their own roots.

Bareroot roses are usually grafted (though some companies that sell bareroots have the occasional roses that are own-root too), and most potted roses in the average garden store as well as virtually all "body bag" roses sold in supermarkets are grafted. The relatively weaker desired rose is grafted onto a stronger base rose - frequently "Dr. Huey" or multiflora - and only the top rose is intended to grow. An advantage is usually quicker growth of the rose overall when grafted, and stronger growth and blooms of roses that are weak on their own roots. Sometimes grafted is also the way to grow an old garden rose that suckers badly on its own roots (like many Gallicas). A disadvantage is that the rootstock may try to take over the main rose and can overpower it if allowed to sprout from below the graft. Also, if the main desired rose dies, the rootstock will grow back and you may not be able to tell until you have this mysterious scruffy dark red once-blooming rose in place of what you planted (this would be Dr. Huey). If you plant a grafted rose in California, you plant it well above the soil line so it doesn't go "own root". If you plant it in cold zones like ours, you absolutely need to plant the graft at least 2 inches below the soil line so that the graft is protected, and when the rose dies down to the soil line there's still some of the original rose left. Sometimes the rose will eventually turn own root in our zones too, but for winter survival that can be a necessary thing. Companies that tend to sell grafted roses are Palatine and Pickering in Canada, Regans, Edmunds, and most roses direct from David Austin in the US.

I have always firmly preferred own-root roses for the security of knowing the rose I want will remain what grows, in this kind of cold climate. I have reluctantly concluded that among my 750+ roses, almost none of the really impressive looking own-root roses are hybrid teas, and my best hybrid teas (the classic "rose" shape) are all grafted. Plenty of my own-root roses are quite impressive, but they are usually shrub roses or climbers or floribundas, and the Austins seem to be equally vigorous whether own-root or grafted. All that differs is how fast they grow, and if you're not a particularly impatient person then the own-root Austin roses should be fine for you in Michigan. Seil may chime in with an alternative opinion and I totally defer to her on your climate.

Hope that helps - Heritage is a pretty widely available Austin so you should have plenty of options. I think Chamblee's sells it and it's probably the most reasonable price, along with Burlington.

Cynthia

Cynthia - wow! A wealth of information! I would have answered last night, but went first instead to check out the different nurseries. I was in the process of ordering from Chamblee's when I got to the shipping. Unfortunately, the shipping cost was around $29, a good $10 more than the rose itself. Checked the others, and there are some with lower S&H, but the Heritage wasn't available at the moment. I'm going to hold off, and check around. There are so many local nurseries within an hours drive, I should probably call some of them, and if they have one available in the spring, I could tie in picking it up with one of our business trips. Too bad for me that Chamblee's is down south; I liked the looks of them.

Thanks for doing all that research for me - very helpful! And as soon as I read about ownroot vs bareroot, I knew this is the way I'd want to go as well. Believe this is what happened with a Peace rose I had many years back, though truth to tell, I know now I planted it in an area that tended to get too much water in the winter.

So, will wait a little longer, and see what the spring brings.

- Alex

I grow Heritage, mine is a grafted plant, about 3 years old.

I'm in zone 5. It's hardy and reliable, lovely scent. I grow it where it does not get all day sun. The blooms can shatter quickly, and this helps to preserve the bloom and keep it from fading.

It does have thorns.

I prefer grafted as own roots have small root systems and thin canes. IMHO, they can be damaged in winter which can make them more difficult to establish.

Some own root plants have a larger size pot.

I bought mine at a local nursery, it came from David Austin Nurseries in Texas.

This is a picture of Heritage:

{{gwi:2120105}}

Well, there's a vote for grafted - good to hear, since I'm wondering if in the long run, I might end up having to go that direction. I totally forgot about the issue of how heavy a gallon pot could be - and that's a definite problem with shipping, especially these days. Thanks, Krista! It's a beautiful rose, no doubt about it. I have a spot in mind that would get some afternoon shade, though I'm also wondering if I needed to move it later, how much would this upset it? I'm not too bad a transplanter, having had success moving some things that are not considered happy movers.

Still have some time to think about it. We're under snow at the moment. :)

- Alex

My DA Heritage rose is very healthy and grows well without winter protection in SW Michigan, by the lake (is it zone 5 or 6? different maps show different numbers). We are about 10 minutes walk from the lake and all roses are doing well. This picture of Heritage is taken in mid October 2014. I love this rose, it looks very delicate, but is robust and undemanding. It's own root and I bought it from DA website 2 years ago.

mmeHardy - Thanks for your feedback! Just checked the DA site for an ownroot rose, and while they do give me the option of less expensive shipping, the cost of the rose is more than at other sites, and I'm still looking at $40+ for a single rose. Sigh. If it were something I felt very confident about my ability to have it survive and thrive, that cost might not be so daunting. However, given my rose-novice-status, I'm not sure I want to spend that much. So - still will look around. If I can find a nursery within driving distance that I can tie into a regular business trip, then I could save on the shipping. It could happen. :)

- Alex

Hi Alex. If you do decide to order from Chamblees, I recommend ordering multiple roses. I called and asked for shipping estimates for one rose: $24, 6 roses: $37. So I got 6 one gallon own root roses ordered for $109 which made them less than $20.

Wanted to share that with you in case you decide you can't live without Heritage. I have not grown DAs before but I caught the bug and can't stop adding them to my WL for this year.

By the way, the gentleman I spoke with said they can fit 8 roses in one box, in case you decide to go real crazy. :)

Good luck! Michaela

Michaela - LOL! A sign of a true garden addict - why buy one when you can buy 8?! Unfortunately, I might just break the bank with the savings I'd make. :)

I haven't given up; I'm still thinking and looking.

- Alex

It's scary how easily I can justify it, isn't it?? It's so bad! Now I just have to stay off all these sites for 3 months so I don't order anything else.....

If you decide not to go the Chamblees-buy-a-ton-of-roses-route, have you tried Heirloom Roses? It's in stock right now & it's even on sale a little bit!

Okay now I'm done being a bad influence!

Michaela

Here is a link that might be useful: Heritage from Heirloom

Michaela - definitely a bad influence...I just ordered a Heritage Rose from Heirloom Roses! :)

- Alex

Yay!! I hope you love it! Now you just have to be strong and not order any more roses for the next few months!! Spring can't get here soon enough! :)

Michaela

Michaela - Not to worry - I've spent my gardening budget with a few other things already, and I have plenty of seed left from purchased packets, plus lots of gathered seed. I'll be strong. Oh, OK - so I admit it - I bought 3 packets while I was out today. Ha!

- Alex

What are you starting from seeds this year? Are you starting indoors or winter sowing? I started my seeds indoors already, probably a little too early but I'm impatient and I clearly just do whatever I want. :P

I have about 30 foxgloves growing, was not expecting that high of a germination rate... going to have to find room for a lot of foxgloves now. They are my husbands favorite flowers, so I had to give them a go. The key is going to be finding some that will bloom this year to plant with them so we have blooms every year. That's the plan anyway.

If you want to swap any seeds let me know! I haven't done it before, but I have so many seeds. I think the pack of foxgloves had like 1500 seeds in it. I clearly won't be using all of those!!

Michaela

Michaela - all sorts of things! My usual bell peppers, eggplants and broccoli, plus petunias, snaps, nicotiana, annual lobelia and some of the zinnias I hybridized - those will all be started in early March. Later, I'll start tomatoes, marigolds, cosmos, cleome, some poppies and more. Will be winter sowing this year with some seed I picked up in a swap - some fancier echinaceas, alliums, gaillardia and others.

Would be happy to swap, though I've already got some foxglove, so I don't need that right now. Hoping the ones I've put in will naturalize - I've got them in 3 different locations, hoping one will take.

And I'll be direct sowing, among other things, a whole basket full of zinnia seeds, saved from my crosses this past summer - going to be interesting!

Anything in particular you're looking for?

- Alex

Roxana - yours is lovely! Mine did very well last year, I'm happy to say. I pruned it somewhat to prepare for winter winds, but judging by it's performance, I could probably have pruned it twice as much and it would have been fine. A wonderful rose!