I really enjoyed your blog post! What an unusual and beautiful rose. I especially love your pictures showing the four side by side blooms going from barely open to fully open. What a great idea to show the different stages. I wish sellers would show more pics like this, it really shows what to expect!

@seasiderooftop Thank you so much. I found that people have either a love or hate relationship with Koko Loko. At its beautiful stage where it's lightly opened, some ppl call it "Koko" but once it's fully opened and all petals pointing/falling flat, they call it "Loko"...ha. I try to do more to show all stages of roses and how they look in spring/summer and fall as well but it sure takes a lot of work. Glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you for directing us to your blog. It's beautifully done. I agree Koko Loco is stunning. My first attempt failed, but I'm trying again because of all the reasons you state. The closest rose I have to her unusual coloring is Stephen Rulo. His color changes are similar. Another muted color rose I have fallen in love with is Honey Dijon.

@Roses In Houston

I enjoyed reading through your blog! We have similar weather here plus this would be a great resource for someone who lives right in your area and is a very special person to me.

I also love the blooms on Koko Loco. When I first got it, I found it blew incredibly fast in full sun, so I now have it in part shade. I think it's a tad stingier than I would prefer, but that's probably due to its being in partial shade. I have it next to Distant Drums, Hot Cocoa, and Honey Dijon. Flowers, I have major rose lust for Stephen Rulo!

I don't think I've ever seen it in person but your pictures make it look fantastic! Also loved your blog post.

Wow! Really beautiful Koko Loco blooms!! And I love reading your comments and looking at your blog. I've dithered about getting this rose because of its lack of fragrance. But, wow! It's a beautiful rose!

Ooooh...I agree about Stephen Rulo!

Susan and Carol, try Northland Rosarium for Stephen Rulo. Rosarium Garden Center, formerly Northland, has it and they can get roses from each other if they have a good supply. The Rosarium Garden Center doesn't ship. My SR is still small, but blooms profusely. I planted him as an own root band in the fall last year and he survived winter beautifully. I don't winter protect.

My question - Do you plant these off color roses together, or combine with clearer colors? Would an entire bed of muted colors look drab? I have a hard time finding other colors they blend with. Would white or ivory set them off to their best advantage?

TW H, what other roses do you have near your Koko Locos and what companion plants do you use?

@flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA Thank you so very much for your kind words and for taking the time to visit my blog. I almost forgot about Stephen Rulo, what a beautiful rose and Honey Dijon is so special too. I wish they both are more available.

@Artist-FKA-Novice Zone 7B GA Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog. I hope you and your special person get to grow Koko Loko. It's so beautiful in real life.

@susan9santabarbara I found a trick to enjoy Koko longer to cut early when it's barely opened. I found it to open up sooo fast and I totally don't like when it gets to that stage. To me, I don't like to leave the blooms on the bush during summer but I tend to leave flowers there longer in cooler weather.

@mmmm12COzone5 I think you'll love this rose if you see in person. You have to see it at all of it different stages as some people totally hate it when it's fully opened. Its colors are so unique, almost vintage colors.

@rosecanadian Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog. You know I'm very surprised to hear that people said Koko doesn't have fragrance. I can 100% detect its fragrance in hot and humid climate, I'd say medium and it smells beautiful - how should I describe its fragrance though I'm trying to think. Definitely not myrrh to my nose.

@flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA I have Koko with 5 other roses and I found Koko to look so good with red (Bordeaux), white/light pink of Desdemona. I found its color to pair well with everything. In each pot rose in that area, I planted Zinnias, sage, and some petunias.

Flowers - I'd love to order from there...but they don't ship to Canada. Dang. :)

TW H - really? I'm glad to hear that Koko Loco has fragrance. I think I'll get one. You're a great enabler. :)

Carol, I'm sorry! I think I knew that but forgot.

TW H, after thinking about it, I also came up with red and thought about moving my Desdemona to the muted color bed. Great minds.....

Susan, I like your combinations. It helps to hear how others pair roses up with each other. I will put in a good word for Steve at WI Roses. He sent me Annie Laurie McDowell last spring, and I don't think I've ever mistreated a baby rose as badly, but she survived an illness (mine, not hers), the heat wave and my not going in the garden all season. He sends strong roses.

flowers - no worries. :) :)

Flowers, I've had really great luck with Wisconsin Roses maidens over the years. In fact, I sent Steve budwood last summer for him to bud one of my favorite out-of-commerce roses that I've had a lot of trouble making cuttings of. And then I got two more from him because they were available when he shipped in November.

One other possibility for a color to combine with the weird color roses is lavendars. I have Neptune and Sterling Silver in that same bed as my weird colors, but they're not super adjacent. Stainless Steel would be exceptional with them color-wise, but he's quite a bit taller, so maybe not so much!