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Antique Roses Roses

Figured out what’s been chomping on my Duchesse de Brabant...

lyannastarknola

5 years ago

and it is cool, gross and weird, just like life itself.

Her Grace is about a year old, own root, in a pot being moved around the yard since we can’t go two days without changing our minds about where she goes in the ground. Had a couple of nice flushes before the record breaking heat, very little black spot, doing well, but she’s definitely being snacked on as you see from the holes and the crispy leaf edges...OH NO WAIT *screaming internally*

Schizura unicornis, unicorn caterpillar. Deceptively adorable name.

Here’s the thing: I’m new to roses but not to gardening but I’ve never seen these guys, ever, because they are listed as feeding on a bunch of hardwoods we don’t have in our yard or even our state. So um. Nice job migrating from where there are apple trees and being resourceful! I’m sure you can find something to eat in the trash.

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Comments (5)

lyannastarknola
Original Author
5 years ago
A few nice photos from the yard to make up for the nightmares.

Recently rehabbed pond, SdlM, exhausted sweet peas, the Professor mushing my marigolds, raggedy little salvia/rose/marigold/daisy bed, DdB in happier times
portlandmysteryrose
5 years ago
Your garden is lovely, and DdB may be my favorite Tea of all. Your caterpillar is also rather awesome...or rather it would be if it weren't attacking The Duchesse. I mean really! A UNICORN caterpillar that looks, well, lumpy and horned. It's so weird that it's rather cute in a nerdy science and mythology kind of way. Thank you for sharing your beauty and your beast! Carol
lyannastarknola thanked portlandmysteryrose
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HI Joe I'm popping into the discussion late, just to make some comments about relative hardiness. You're warmer than I am by a zone or two, so take that into account - still, when you're looking for hardy long-blooming roses having ones that are hardy a zone or two beyond you can help. Obviously Christopher and madgallica are going to have feedback more pertinent for your specific location. In my experience, Souvenir de la Malmaison is particularly winter tender and even in your zone will need some protection in the winter. Apparently SDLM has considerable tea rose in its heritage enough that it's a real wimp in cold. Consequently I put my last (maybe 5th) try at SDLM in my most protected and pampered spot along with 6 or 7 teas that I can overwinter in zone 5 with pampering. SDLM didn't even think about coming back with maximum protection in my virtual zone 6, so I'd put her marginal in even zone 7. She'll want protection even there. Kronprinzessin Viktoria, Marchesa Beccella, Rose du Roi (the one from Burling), and Clotilde Soupert are all winter hardy for me without much effort. I think La Reine might be in a better spot, though it failed to overwinter in a part shade spot once so far. For repeat bloom, the best is Marchesa Boccella - she's going to bloom with the frequency of the others you mention. For me, KV and CS are mostly spring and fall bloomers, and my Rose du Roi is too new to repeat much at all (just approaching its third year). Reine des Violettes laughs off the cold and is reliably hardy, just be sure to get the real version of this one (Burling has the real RdV for instance) as there's a once-bloomer sold under this name as well. As others mentioned, teas in your climate will take quite a bit of work but are marginally doable at a much reduced state. If you want to indulge for your own sake and fuss (as opposed to your mom's), the more hardy teas for me have been Maman Cochet (probably the most hardy), Mrs BR Cant, Duchesse de Brabant, and Madame Antoine Mari. Georgetown Tea made it several years as did Rainbow. None of them bloom profusely but they're a novelty in zone 5 and as such fun for me. Cynthia
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lyannastarknola
Original Author
5 years ago
He’s very good at what he does! As soon as I realized I needed to be looking for crispy leaf edges I found maybe 8-10 in plain sight. It was very cool and also made me want to take a hundred showers. No other roses affected! Wacky side effect of mail order plants I suppose.

Thank you for the kind words, I should get a better picture of the pond! It’s so nice, and the bed is pretty as well, especially when SdlM is doing her thing. It’s wet and dark out there but I needed an immediate unicorn antidote (great band name/racehorse name). I’ll get some glamour shots next flush!
Lisa Adams
5 years ago
I went off looking up your unicorn caterpillar. Want to feel like taking another shower? That caterpillar ejects Formic acid from a gland in the hump of its back. Apparently it can shoot it out several inches! How fascinatingly gross is that?!?!

Lovely “other” pictures:) Gorgeous detailed photo of your Souvenir de la Malmaison bloom. DdB is a beauty, too. Two lovely, light pink ladies, and each have completely different and distinct “personalities”. Thanks for sharing these great pictures. I didn’t immediately recognize your “name”, but the moment I read the words, “The Professor”, I instantly remembered you, and couldn’t wait to see your black and white cutie pie! Lisa
lyannastarknola
Original Author
5 years ago
OH DEAR LORD. It's kind of a miracle I didn't yank on one of those "crispy leaves" and find out the hard way! I honestly didn't see a single thing, until I saw one, then I saw them all, and then I whimpered a lot.

I've been lurking lately since the yard is still very much in recovery from the January freeze. The 95+F record temps last week didn't help either the plants or my motivation to get things in order! Then there was the 5" of rain in 2 hours Friday, plus hail, plus THRIPS. We usually have another month or so before we have to deal with this nonsense. And of course, watching the Gulf already!

The Professor is such a garden cat! She follows me around when I'm weeding and such, and every time I dig a hole she gets in and writhes around in dirt cat ecstasy like I made it just for her. I guess she's lucky she didn't get squirted either! GROSS.

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