When I asked Vicky in Chicagoland (zone 5) about the life-span of her roses, below is what Vicky shared:
"Rose's worth growing for fragrance: Munstead Wood, Jude the Obscure, Dee-lish, Golden Celebration, Vanessa Bell, Variagata de Bologna(fruity like raspberries), Bolero, love Abe Darby....these are especially good for fragrance. Of course the Evelyn's you gave me are also great, and I am probably overlooking other Austin's.
The Rose's I have from Palatine are Ascots (3), which have no fragrance, purchased 2016, they are not doing great but it could be location (they are semi-shaded and not the best drainage.)
My longest lasting own roots are Dark Lady(11 years old), Golden Celebration (2011), Red Eden(hangs in there but not prolific and balls, no fragrance 2012, Abe Darby 2012, Cardinal de Richelieu 2013, now getting too many suckers but still love its grape juice color like none other!, Generous Gardener from 2013 is huge and prolific, my best own root.
Other own roots from 2013 were Souvenir de Philemon rugosa, Mme. Hardy, The Faun, Mme Plantier, Blanche de Belgique Albany, Duchesse de Montebello....all still doing great! Jude the Obscure does not do well for me, lost the one I planted in 2014 and also the more recent container plant doesn't look good." Vicky in Chicagoland, zone 5.
From Straw: I also asked Paul nearby which are his fragrant roses with the longest life-span. Paul grows mostly own-roots and shared the below:
"I ordered Lady Emma Hamilton in 2012 and it is still alive. It is small. Jude the obscure died after a few years. It smelled like grapefruit. I am not sure if Young Lycidas is still around but it was not very impressive. I bought Jacques Cartier several years ago from The Growing Place and it is doing fine. It has some fragrance.
Louise Odier has been around several years and has a good fragrance. It reblooms some. One time it bloomed on Thanksgiving. I still have the thorny Reine des Violettes from Sam Kedem but it is not very impressive. I bought a grafted Reine des Violettes (thornless) at Home Depot and it is much better with good scent. The undersides of the leaves have some thorns.
One rose I would add is Rose de Rescht which I bought several years at The Growing Place. Gertrude Jekyll and Jude the Obscure would certainly be worth growing if only for two years. Other fragrant roses would be Bolero, Munstead Wood. Bliss Parfuma and Nahema." Paul in Chicagoland, zone 5.
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Rooting grocery store roses
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