Which DAustin Roses change bloom color in high heat climates?

last year

last modified: last year

Being in Zone 10b, it get's hot and humid. We don't get days on end of 110 degrees, but we get days on end of 90's and afternoon monsoons. So I ran across a reference to a David Austin Rose I have on order that changes COLOR in hot climates. Climber Claire Austin. Claire is supposed/shown to be a creamy white and would pair well on an arbor with say.... Generous Gardener, a warm tinted Pale/Mid pink David Austin. The reference says the blooms become "Butter Yellow" in heat. Whoops! Now what?

So David Austin growers out there.... which Austin's turn color in heat? And what color should I expect from them?

For reference, these are the roses I am most concerned about: Generous Gardner, Claire Austin, Roald Dahl, Poet's Wife, Lady of Shalott, James Galway, Ancient Mariner, Olivia R Austin, Windermere, Vanessa Bell, Scepter'd Isle, St. Cecelia, Queen of Sweden, Molineux, Pat Austin, Charles Darwin.

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dianela7analabama

last year

last modified: last year

Claire Austin opens pale yellow and turns cream/white in the heat. I do not have pictures of mine because it really hasn’t impressed me yet. This one is going to be its third year and probably her last chance to shine. My summer heat is very similar to yours with it reaching over 100 very rarely, but staying in the mid to high 90s during July and August consistently. Here in the cool spring days (50s to 60s) her pale yellow last longer and many other near whites like Desdémona, lichfield Angel, Madame Anisette and Earth ángel show off their blush and cream color. Once the heat arrives they are mostly look cream/white. I do not think your Claire Austin will stay yellow long. Also the “yellow” is a very pale yellow nothing garish and it would definitely still look delicate and beautiful next to other Austin’s.

From your list I grow Olivia, Queen of Sweden, Roald Dahl, the Ancient Mariner, James Galway, Molienaux and Lady of Shalott.

None of them particularly change much color but their shades do fade in the heat of the summer or their blooms get smaller. Here they mostly do not bloom much during July and August and that’s fine with me. They normally have a big flush from May to June and rest after that for a couple of months. The sporadic blooms they have are paler and smaller. I do not water much so maybe this could be improved with enough supplemental water.

This is Tranquility because I do not have a good picture of Claire, but this is what Claire’s yellow looks like when first opening.

Here it faded to white

I’ll try to post more pictures of what my roses look like here color wise but bear with me it may take me all day.

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Comments (26)

Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)
Original Author
last year
Great, @dianela7analabama, Thank you for the reassurance. I'll keep to my plan then. Fading and smaller blooms or no blooms, I understand. (Heck, when it gets hot and humid - I feel the same!) Thank you.
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Diane Brakefield
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Above are photos of Princess Alexandra of Kent in the past in my garden. I'm not sure you were thinking of growing her. In the first pic, she is shown before the heat sets in here. The second pic shows her shrunken bloom size with fewer petals after heat arrives. Her color change to coral doesn't show up in that photo, though.

Olivia showing fading in heat. Diane
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)
Original Author
last year
Diane, those are great examples. very noticeable. This is such a newbie question… but is it the overall heat? Or sun? What if I put shade cloth up over them during the high summer? (I do this for my tomatoes and it helps). Or maybe keep the roots cooler during the day somehow?
rosecanadian
last year
Dianela - Such gorgeous Tranquility blooms!!

Diane - such beauty!!
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)
Original Author
last year
Yes, I totally agree… Diane’s picture are framable! I’m guessing that the result of a lot of hard work and what all of us hope for!
Diane Brakefield
last year
I think it's the overall heat mostly, but the sun and dry air may affect the blooms some, too. In Florida, the sun would be stronger except at the very height of summer. A shade cloth would helpful, though the change in size of blooms on PAoK may occur anyway. Olivia's blooms don't change size much. Thanks for the nice comments on my roses. Dianela's roses are superb, I think. Diane
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)
Original Author
last year
Dianela’s roses ARE amazing. Claire is the one I was most worried about. And it’s really interesting to see the change in Tranquility from Dianela’s pictures. I guess I was thinking that in general, the lighter colored roses would be less effected by heat, than the stronger, darker colors. Hence no reds in my order.

I almost did order Princ. Alex. Of Kent until I decided I’d have better success with lighter colored roses.

Thank you both again for your pictures and everyone for their wisdom and examples. Really helps me to understand. I’ll be sure to adjust my expectations.
dianela7analabama
last year
last modified: last year
Diane your roses are absolutely the most beautiful. I never get tired of seeing them. I also think humidity plays a huge part. I think the Florida humidity will help keep the blooms from fading as dramatically as the dry heat does. My Olivia is able to retain her color better here and I think it may be due to the high humidity during the summer. I know how much Olivia washes out isn’t your favorite thing, but she looks gorgeous to me.

Olivia spring

olivia august

earth angel not in your list but you may like it

august. Earth Angle doesnt fade as much as I thought. Main reason I dont mind if they dont bloom. Nasty bugs

Crown Princess doesnt fade

Queen of Sweden and Moulineux. Queen of sweden rarely blooms in such heat as high 90s and when she does her blooms are very small and slightly paler. Molineaux shows a complex yellow/peach color in the spring and is more yellow in summer

early spring

molineaux later in the season but cant tell date
dianela7analabama
last year
last modified: last year
@Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)

Yes I think understanding that during the hot summer roses may need to rest or their blooms will not be perfect is key to not be disappointed. We took our little one to the Miami Zoo last August and even the African animals were hiding in the shade and resting ;). The roses are super tough tho and still some of them just keep blooming through the heat and bugs. If you are willing to try darker roses (I don’t k ow if you only like pastels). Try Flamenco Rosita. She is a wonderful rose with hot pink blooms that never stop. Perfectly healthy Flamenco never takes a rest and her blooms stay strong, big and deep pink.

August 29 when she was a first year own root plant.

Another Excellent rose is Austin’s Princess Anne

Single Cane. She fades to lavender
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b) thanked dianela7analabama
rosecanadian
last year
Dianela - Such gorgeous roses!!! Oh my!!!
dianela7analabama
last year
last modified: last year
Thank you very much Carol! I hope your spring arrives soon this year. I cant wait to hear hOw your roses are doing
sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
last year
last modified: last year
A lot of the reds will be more magenta in the summer FL heat. Don Juan (not a DA) stays a truer dark red. Munstead Wood & William Shakespeare 2000 will lend toward magenta. Then go redder in cool weather

I have Tess, Darcy B, & Young Lycidas they pretty much stay the same magenta color. YL can get very purpley in winter.

Very light yellows, creams, and light pinks can bleach out whiter in the heat.

Olivia will be lighter pink in heat but not white.

Earth Angel does get lighter in summer but I wouldnt say white or ugly just very light pink.

Teasing Georgia is excellent here and remains yellow in heat but sometimes gets a little apricot in the coldest weather.

Boscobel can be very pink in cool weather and very Coral in warm weather.

The medium pinks and dark pinks are most reliable, colorwise.

I dont have a lot of whites but Lichfield angel more creamy white is good here. My other favorite white is Pope John Paul ll (not a DA) it stays white and very fragrant. Mine is grafted on fortuniana.

Jude the Obscure gets pretty light in the summer but the centers stay darker. The blooms blow quickly in summer.

Crown Princess Margareta becomes very a light Sherbert Orange in the heat whereas in the cooler weather she is deeper orange.

Bathsheba gets very light Sherbert in heat. In cool weather, she can get very apricot and sometimes pinks and be almost the same color as Evelyn. I had been debating on putting a couple of Bathshebas and Spirit of Freedoms together on some arbors out front. I have noticed they bloom in flushes and at the same time in my garden. They both have excellent disease resistance here.

Spirit of Freedom does hold her color here. She can be a little more lilac in cooler weather. I just love that rose!

Lady of Shalott is indeed a chameleon. She gets the most pinks in early spring. She kinda has a yellow reverse on her petals. She csn go through pinks, corals, oranges, burnished coppers. She blooms best here in full sun. I had her in afternoon shade for awhile and she barely bloomed. She is a wild card but she is always warm so if you put her with warm tones it should be ok.
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b) thanked sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)
Original Author
last year
wow wow wow.... **studiously taking notes** thanks jasmine_nights, dianela, diane, and everyone. Love it! Adding the info to my garden book. Thank you!
sharon2079
last year
One of my favorite DA's that turns color is Spirit of Freedom.... it changes between lt pink and lavender ..... I love it.
rosecanadian
last year
Thanks, Dianela - I don't get blooms until the beginning of June...so it'll be a long wait. :) :)
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)
Original Author
last year
Spirit of Freedom has come up several times across the GW - people liking it. If it is out of patent, does anyone here in South Florida have a cutting they might be willing to part with? I'll come pick it up...PM me here on Housz. I read thru the rooting cuttings tutorial (great pictures) and have the grow lights already. Why not try? Right?
dianela7analabama
last year
@Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)

Spirit of freedom is indeed a gorgeous Austin with pretty good disease resistance here also. Her blooms are so plump they look like beautiful balls of icecream to me lol (I love icecream ). Her blooms are fragrant also and have a lovely shade of pink/lilac like a lot of times. She is always beautiful. I would love to have one grafted on fort, the ones grafted in Huey aren’t doing well here in the ground.

Spirit of freedom is still under patent in the USA but her patent should expire soon (USA patent has June 2004 in helpmefind) I would definitely recommend trying this one if you have the space.
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b) thanked dianela7analabama
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)
Original Author
last year
Thanks, Dianela. Yes, I'm told Dr. Huey is totally the worst here in south florida. Fortuniana if you can get it, or own root. I'm doing own root and no HTs, and pots. We will see what happens. I have to make another run for blue barrels/drums from the Food Mfg to make pots for all these roses, lol. You know, it didn't occur to me to check the patent info on HMF. Ah! so much to learn! I'll add SoF to my list of Austins to watch for the future. I just managed to add THREE more current DAs onto my original DA order (no additional shipping incurred!). And I told the hubby that I was moving the herb garden .... to make room for 3 more. His reaction? 'kiss' and "that's up to you honey."
sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
last year
last modified: last year
There used to be someone who posted quite a bit who lived in S FL. Maybe you would like to see what she suggests too.

https://southfloridarose.com/

Another Floridian rose grower who used to post here was Sherry in Ocala. She has a blog with a lot of good suggestions, although some of hers were older roses. Dont underestimate those antique roses especially the Teas, Noisettes, and Hybrid Musks. Many do very well in FL.

Here is her blog. http://sherryocala.blogspot.com/?m=1
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b) thanked sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)
Original Author
last year
1. Yes, SFLrose is a good blog and she's on here I think. Yes the OGR are good here... but HUGE HUGE. Had a Prosperity (and at one point a Marecal Niel too I think). 10' in one season, swarming over the yard. lol.
LauraLG Z5b-NwPA
last year
Poet’s Wife doesn’t fade at all for me in all day, full sun. It’s always a bright, vivid yellow. Generous Gardener does fade to white from a pale pinky-peach in full, hot sun. Munstead changes from deep burgundy-red to hot pink in full, hot sun.

Poet’s Wife in the middle of summer:

Munstead in mid-summer:
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)
Original Author
last year
@LauraLG Z5b-NwPA Laura, Beautiful pictures of your Poet's Wife and Munstead. Great to know about PW, as I have that one on order (if I ever get it... lol). Looks gorgeous in your 5b garden!
LauraLG Z5b-NwPA
last year
@Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b) Thank you! I hope you love her as much as I do.
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b) thanked LauraLG Z5b-NwPA
rosecanadian
last year
Laura - now THAT'S yellow!! :) :) Gosh, I love your The Poet's Wife!!! Oh, SWOON!!! Your Munstead Wood is also a beauty!
LauraLG Z5b-NwPA
last year
@rosecanadian thank you! Poet’s Wife is always an amazing bloomer for me. Love this one!