Spirit of Freedom has a pretty good reputation for health, but you never know. What is it that you're looking for in an alternative? One with a similar look or just another good pink climber? I don't grow it (yet) but a lot of people love Kiss me Kate. Colette and Nahema also have great reputations. Can't say how they'd do in Florida so hopefully someone more local comes along with suggestions.

-Chris

My SoF does well here. I don't spray anything as we have a well and lots of outside animals. Pretty sure SoFlrose has several SoFs too. Idk if she sprays or not.

I cant think of anything that could replace SoF.

Most other climbers are more pink, or more lavender and not that perfect lilac pink of SoF plus, she has over 200 petals ♡

Earth angel doesnt look like SoF but she is beautiful and healthy here. She is growing tall like a climber that would get into the 10ft range.

Princess Charlene de Monaco is pretty healthy here and also can grow like a mannerly climber. She is a good dupe for Abe Darby and is very fragrant.

My Colette is still small but seems like it will be a good bloomer. She stays green.

Florence Bower's Pink Tea is also staying healthy here. Hopefully it will leap this year.

I would be looking for something that has the look of the flowers. That in a climber would be ideal, but I would be happy with anything that gives me blooms like SoF!

Jasmine_nights - is yours grafted and if so, what rootstock is it on?

I am zone 10 South Florida. I have Spirit of Freedom, but I do spray. However, as Sultry thought SoFl who is also in South Florida and may actually be zone 10b has Spirit of Freedom. SoFl is almost totally no spray.... at least for fungus etc. She does have to spray for chili thrips in late summer.... but I really do not know of any rose that is impervious to CT's here in Florida.

Thank you Sharon - is your SoF grafted?

Suncoast, All my SoF are grafted to DH. I have 4 and another otw.

Try Sof F first suncoast before you look for alternatives. This is a fabulous healthy rose. I have own root and grafted. Both great.

I agree - there’s no other rose quite like it. If you find it available, I would jump at the chance and buy it.

After reading Suebelle's thread about the new revoltingly greedy move on the part of the David Austin Roses company, I would heartily encourage rose lovers everywhere to find alternatives to the generally over-rated DA roses...

My Spirit of Freedom is an own root rose. Mine is probably six feet tall. I recently had it in a pot. but it kept blowing over. it started to decline after my fall floods.... So I knew I had to get it out of the pot because the potting mix had started to break down.... I am worried about nematodes, but I did amend the soil and put in lots of organics..... After transplanting it started to put out a lot of new growth including stems from the root system.... I do not know it that is called basal breaks or not.... I thought that is from the graft union... but it is starting to rebound from the flooding. I absolutely love mine.... I actually got mine after seeing SoFls.... she has a beautiful garden. She actually took a picture of hers that is on an arch and submitted it to our rose society photo contest.... She won.... and rightly so....

@bart bart I know, I'm disappointed and confused. I'm sitting here with 4 DA roses on order, wondering what I should do. Keep? Cancel? Sigh.

I will definitely keep my order (most of it was paid with gift cards) but in the future might try a little harder to find from other sources.

To me it’s a bummer because they do have a great guarantee, shipping is very reasonable compared to other places and the bare roots are so large.

Though DA does deserve to be boy-cotted,I tend to agree with Sheila-get the varieties that you really want while they are still available. The fact is, DA is not about the love of roses; I don't think it ever was. I read somewhere that David Austin himself, was not even trying to breed roses when he started; his first one was an accident. Over the years, he made it prretty clear that he was out to make money,I think. Again, I read somewhere that someone questioned his advice about spacing 3 of the same variety very close together and his cynical reply was: "would you rather sell just one plant to a customer, or three all at once?" The clincher for me was one year, in their catalogue, they stated that roses only live for about five years,and after that should be replaced.(I think they did have the decency to remove THAT, or else it was just too many customers protested). Now, I can't prove any of this, since it's stuff I gleaned over the years in my rose questing,but when I see their glossy catalogue and all the rest it just stikes me as snobby and false. It also does seem to me that the new varieties -from the photos at least-look more and more alike , there are always lots of yellow and pinks,beginning just to look a bit like a lot of cupcakes or something; the older varieties seem to have more character. Another thing that baffles me: one thing I did like about DA was the fact that they produced some nice deep,velvety purple-reds (Falstaff, Munstead Wood, The Prince, William Shakespeare, WS2000,etc).They don't seem to even try to do those any more. Now, some of these as plants might have had several defects, but that colour range is so rare and special in re-blooming roses that I feel that I, at least, would be willing to close an eye on the defects. In fact, even though I'm so anti-DA,I DO indeed toy with the idea of trying to get new plants of Falstaff, WS 2000, and maybe even The Prince, all of which I once had but failed to grow properly and had to sp. I still do have Tradescant, also from years ago-now that plant has been ignored completely by me for years, was mistreated in the beginning,as well-and yet last year I discovered it among the weeds-small, yes, but with those beautiful dark blooms,and in decent health, too. I dug it up, potted it (removing a cane that had gone own-root and potting that up seperately ). So for at least 10 years that plant has survived in good health with no real care-that is a good rose! but has been discontinued, of course. I plan to coddle mine along a bit in a pot (it looks great so far) until it's big enough, and then plant it out in my garden-this time in a better spot; it seems to deserve it.

To be honest, I suspect that. since this company never was about the love of roses,by now they are gradually in the process of dropping all attempts to breed interesting, lovable, "real" roses, and will more and more aim towards developing -how shall it put it? -a new brand of "pseudo Knock-outs", because all they want is to make money. Now there is nothing per se wrong with Knock-outs and their ilk, but they can NOT take the place of "real" roses. So grab the real ones while they are still available.

I ordered it and it will get here in March or April. I am incredibly excited!!!

I’ve just discovered the Spirit of Freedom rose and I’m in LOVE with it. My problem is that I cannot find any!!! Have DA discontinued it?!!!

Heirloom Roses usually carries it...you might check there. David Austin tends to stock it once or twice a year

I got it from DA earlier this year. I just got an email that it shipped.

Good for you, Ashley. I have been on the DA wait list for SoF for a long time. I did get an email once saying it was available but it was gone just that quick! And it never seems to come available at Heirloom either. I really want one, so I'll keep trying. When I hear that some of you have gotten it recently, it gives me hope.

One Love Roses told me that they were adding SOF this fall. I've also seen it listed on Roses Unlimited and K&M roses. Looking forward to getting one soon. But not sure how things have changed with the announcements. Let me know if DA or Heirloom pans out.

I don't think Roses Unlimited or K&M are offering DA roses anymore.

I would get on the waiting list for SoF at Heirloom. My own root plant from Heirloom was/is fabulous. The grafted one I got from DA is also doing well.

Around 2 weeks ago K&M roses told me on the phone that they recently lost thousands of their grafted roses in some bad weather. They should have more roses in the future once they are able to recover from their loses.

the lady did not say they wouldnt offer DAs.