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Should it stay, or should it go?

8 years ago

My husband and I moved into our house in Autumn of 2013, and the garden was an elaborate and neglected mess. I spent most of that fall cutting out dead wood, and trying to figure out what I had.
In the spring of 2014, I discovered a thorny bush - which grew 14' canes over the course of the summer - at the path to our front door, and later in that year it had a weak showing of dog roses.

Unsure of what to do, I didn't touch the dog rose, except to train the early canes horizontally to a trellis, the later canes were so wiley and room on the trellis was running out, so I bent the long canes in half, and taped the ends to the bottom of the trellis, and left it at that.

This spring, I didn't touch the plant at all, though new canes are sprouting up and getting in the way of the path. I didn't want to jinx the fact that there were a ton of buds. Now, I have a beautiful array of light pink flowers.

I realize now, after much more research on what to do with this plant, that it probably wasn't supposed to be a dog rose at all, that this is likely the root stock some showier rose was grafted to, and in the failing of the original plant, now the root stock is thriving.

I am new to gardening, and I love the discoveries I'm making, and the things I'm learning, but now I'm wondering if I should settle with my dog rose, or if I should dig it out for something else?

I'm looking for thoughts, opinions or personal experiences, as all of it is valuable!
Thank you in advance!

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Comments (6)

seil zone 6b MI
8 years ago
If you like the way it looks you can leave it. But it's only going to bloom once a year. If you'd like something that would bloom more often then I would dig it out and find a new repeat blooming climber to replace it with. There are even a few that are fairly thornless so they won't attack people on the path.

If you decide to keep it you need to know that you should only prune the rose right after it blooms. Never prune in the spring or you'll cut off your bloom for that year.

If you want some suggestions on a climber we would need to know where you live.
michaelg
8 years ago
Are you in the UK?

Having a thorny monster next to the path seems problematic. You could choose another climber that will give some repeat bloom. Some are less thorny. However, if you like it, keep it. I think you could prune severely right after the June flush of bloom and then train the long shoots that appear in summer. Don't prune again for a year.
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maackia(Zone 4): If you are really putting this up to a vote, my vote is to keep it. But then, I prefer the "wooded look" to the "formal" look. I go for the majesty of a big old tree rather then something exotic with perfect form. If you decide to take it down later, you can always do it later. Only reason I can see to do otherwise is of you need to clear the space to plant a replacement, or if the tree looks much worse in person. davidrt28 (zone 7): Didn't notice your question. White pine look amazing in the woods up here. I've seen great looking rows of old white pine along the property lines of old farms and parks. Young white pine look great in suburbs. Old ones in suburbs can be problematic. In the woods they kind of screen each other from the wind, and no one much cares if they drop branches. In the open they are more vulnerable to wind, and people freak out if a tree near the house drops branches. A white pine grown in the open can go through an "ugly duckling" phase while they decide whether they really need to lose those lower branches (as they would in the woods) when they have all that light. The transition from the perfect Christmas tree to the majestic limbed up forest giant can look homely if you have to see it out your kitchen window every day. Also they are just too big for most suburban lots.
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I have that Persicaria around my yard, it is a weedy plant, but yours appears to be a selected variety with those markings on the leaves. I've seen that one discussed on here before. Its an attractive plant if you can tolerate removing the seedlings. I also planted 2 of those Viburnums on purpose. Nice plants for a more naturalized area.
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mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
8 years ago
Having a thorny rootstock is odd, to put it mildly. One of the desired characteristics of a commercially used rootstock is that it has little to no thorns, so when the budders grab it, they are less likely to be poked. Even seedling strains of rootstock tend to be selected for thornlessness. So it is more likely to be a seedling of some feral rose than rootstock.

This doesn't change your options. If you like it, keep it. If you don't, get rid of it.
SoFL Rose z10
8 years ago
I would get rid of it. There are so many amazing roses that bloom year round that would make a better specimen for you to enjoy. Also many that are less thorny or almost thorn-less (Nahema comes to mind, or Zephirine Drouhin). See if you can take a picture of it and share it with us and we can give you some nice suggestions. (Also your growing zone, general location) There are many easy care roses that would look much nicer for you, in my opinion.
fduk_gw UK zone 3 (US zone 8)
8 years ago
Canina hasn't really been used as a root stock in the uk for a long time. It is possible that it was rootstock, one of the gardens down the road from me has standard roses on a thorny rootstock, (I can tell because I wince at the suckers everytime I walk past the house!) but more likely it's a birdsown wildling - I have one growing up through a rhododendron, and I like the effect, so it stays.
Given that you say it's got ambitions to colonise the path already, I suspect that might be a checkmark in the remove column, given the increased light, food, water that comes with you actively tending the garden, it's likely to get more and more octopus-y as time goes on.
jacqueline9CA
8 years ago
Can you post pictures of your rose? Is it still in bloom?

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