I'm in zone 6 and I've tried three times and even wintering them wrapped in burlap and kept in my shed they only lastd a couple years. They dwindled in size every spring until they just didn't come back. I love the way they look but they're to expensive to be annuals.

it's not that bad per standard....some annuals run me like $6-$11 each x ###.

I've tried cutting back on my annuals, but I prefer alot of the blooms of annuals vs. perennials.

I have 2 Canadian hardy rose trees ( started with 8 a few years ago), and 25 Polar Joy rose trees in the garden (out in the cold). And I also have about 115 potted rose trees between 2 properties in zone 6a and 5b. During the winter months they are stored in attached unheated garages and a walkout basement. I water them once a month. We are experiencing “global cooling” up north here this winter, but so far all rose trees are good.

About 3-4 years ago during a cold winter, I lost near 40+ potted rose trees in 2 garden sheds in zone 6a, they were all gone when the spring came, they couldn’t take the cold in sheds.. I had those trees for about 7-8 years, they were stored in unheated attaches garages before, but that year I got lazy, instead moving motorcycles and scooters to the sheds, I moved potted rose trees to the sheds. A very expensive lesson indeed. Life goes on, we all learn from our mistakes, now I have more rose trees under my care.

Diane -

You bring up on point that is on my radar. I plan to put 1 behind a row of short boxwoods close to the house. This area does see *roof snow load*, which comes down in wet heavy clumps (aka, branch breaking force). Part of me really wants to put a standard here for a LoLLYPOP of Color, ya know, but the sensible part of me also knows the risk I am on the siting.

a1an, the first tree I bought cost me $30 probably 12 years ago. Each succeeding one was more as prices went up. I saw a gorgeous one last spring I LOVED but at $60 I just couldn't justify it knowing it would be dead in two years. I know they are improving the hardiness so maybe i'll try again some day.

seil, wait for the end of summer rose sale! The 75 rose trees I purchased last May-June were $11,95-12.95 each for most of them, a few HT 36" ones I paid $31.95. You'd love the HT tall trees. I will let you know when the sale starts this year.

I started on a rose QUEST late fall. I was hemming/hawing on the tree standards. Had them sitting in my cart as I just could not decide. Then one day it went out of stock on my cart ----hence the push/extra motivation and I finished doing the checkout on my cart.

Fast forward today. Still debating what to do. In reality, I don't know if any of the local nurseries will be selling the tree forms I've considered or looked at, or will it just be KO tree standards. I've even gone as far as calling a few and I asked specifically if they could order them special order if they were not planning to order them as part of their initial order. I've gotten the same answer across the board (we don't know what we're ordering quite yet, depends if the growers had a good grow season out of them so we don't know availability, etc). I don't really plan to invest Time or Gas running around come later on spring to check nurseries to see if they have the tree forms based on the not-so-clear responses I've been given already.

I know treeform availability/species may also be a REGIONAL thing. I found MANY nurseries in California that seemed to offer XYZ.

Grr. Off my soapbox for today

Just circling back to this thread since I'm doing more re-reading. What spurned the whole tree standard was seeing a duo of KO off the highway exit on the way home. I do think maybe the KO thrives in treeform is that it OWN root - aka, no exposed graft.

LOL. I can't seem to find much positive posts on anyone owning up to growing a tree standard (grafted) where there is ~winter~

I am giving up on Rose Standards. If every winter was like this winter, maybe I would revisit it. I was talking to a rose seller and while they could have sold me XYZ, they were real frank and told me there if it's not overwintered indoors, it's a high risk purchase and they strongly recommended I reconsider.

I think the knockouts are grafted at the top and not own root. Home Depot had some standards last year other than knockouts, but I can’t remember which ones! I’ve only ever seen Polar Joy as an own root tree.

Also just going to recommend Polar Joy. It is hardy and there are no grafts on the entire plant.

Aside from KO at HD, probably Drifts and Flower Carpet I've seen at homers

I think they had Julia Child too. There were several that were really pretty - I remember standing there struggling not to buy them lol- I think they were $60. I know they won’t survive here and I don’t really have anywhere to store them.

Sautusmom, It was a family event to move the pots inside. We used wheelbarrow and hand trucks. Most of rose gardeners here are rose shopaholics.:-) I know I shouldn’t have bought 75 rose trees last year, but the price was right, buy one get 3 free........it was an opportunity from heaven. :-)