I have found that the fragrance info on HMF is one of the least dependable pieces of info about specific roses, ESPECIALLY mid 20th century HTs, which were usually NOT bred for fragrance, vigor (which is why most of them do better grafted), or health (which is why most of them were sprayed routinely), but rather for beauty of the individual blooms. Part of this is that different people seem to have different ideas about whether a rose is fragrant or not, except where the fragrance is VERY strong. The use of the word "strong..." when HMF defines a fragrance occurs very often (IMO way too often) in the write-ups of roses, which I find very dubious, particularly in mid 20th century bred roses, when fragrance was NOT a goal of most hybridizers.

Jackie

What Jackie said . . . Truly, the sense of smell is SO individual . . . Now, I DO remember Granada as being fragrant. But not strongly fragrant, And though it's been 50 years since I grew Tropicana, I really don't recall any fragrance at all.

I WILL say, though, that I doubt either of those roses would perform well on their own roots.

Hi, Ann. I ditto what Jackie and Jeri said about HMF scent ratings. Our noses vary, and so do our ratings. As far as own root versus grafted is concerned, I have only seen and smelled grafted Granadas, but on fine summer days and eves in Portland, to my nose, Granada has an apparent and lovely scent. I have seen and smelled both grafted and own root Tropicanas. Both have a pleasant, moderate scent to my nose. My grandfather’s Dallas, TX, Tropicanas and those I have encountered in Portland, OR, were all likely grafted. But my mother's two Dallas Tropicanas were rooted from cuttings taken from my grandfather’s plants. They thrived own root for over 50 years until rose rosette invaded my mother’s garden the 2010s. Their scent was also pleasant and moderate to my nose. My husband has real nose for ”lightly scented” Hybrid Tea blooms. I grow Black Magic, and my husband insists the flowers are ”definitely scented.” He’d probably call both Granada and Tropicana “highly scented,” but his noseometer struggles when sniffing OGRs like Rosa alba Semi Plena and the damask rose La Ville de Bruxelles. My independent and unscientific survey says EVERYONE can smell (and loves the aroma of) the Hybrid Tea Mr. Lincoln, own root and grafted! Carol

I remember Granada as being deliciously fragrant, but the blooms scarcely lasted a two days. Tropicana I don't remember as being known for fragrance.

I have always wondered if people ever subjected these roses to blindfolded tests, since the color might influence expectations and therefore perceptions. Just saying.

I remember entering 'Sombreuil, Cl.' in the "most fragrant" class at a rose show, and hearing a judge I was clerking for say that it had no fragrance at all.

And yes. I kept my mouth shut, like a good little clerk.

Thank you all for your wisdom and your time answering me. It is all very helpful and I have decided to do like one guy does "easy own rooting" by planting the bushes and rooting one cane, then leave the other grafted. I think I will try and see if I can smell either or if there are any differences in vigor.