Rosa glauca

Here's a rose I like in the landscape as a plant and not especially as a producer of flowers, although the flowers are quite nice. It's just that they are small, scant, and around for a very short time. But the foliage of this rose is undeniably, yet subtly, gorgeous, as you can see, and the form is not too bad either. Upright and cane-y, yes, but not too floppy or gigantuan. I've even heard it performs pretty well in shade too, but I have not seen it in shade. A bit of a weak grower, but that's fine by me. It hasn't threatened to devour its site.

Scott

Here's a shot that shows its foliage and stems, which are themselves lovely, to better effect.

Scott

Edited to add that this picture was shot in the fall just as the leaves were about to turn color, and this is the reason the foliage color is less a chalky blue than the previous photograph.

This message was edited Nov 21, 2006 7:07 PM

I've grown this rose for years...it puts on a modest display of both flowers and hips (the latter is attractive right now) but the colour of the foliage is quite unusual and stunning in my opinion. Here's a summer pic.

VERY nice! I love plants with good foliage and the bonus of an occasional flower show. So many people underestimate the beauty of a bed with interesting mixed foliage forms!

I had several in my old garden early on, and they were too crowded for space and ultimately didn't make the cut. People should be aware that even in zone 5 it makes a good-sized shrub, 6' tall and across easily. It is a very good mixed border subject I think, because the foliage is very attractive and a good mix with lots of other plants. The other great advantage of use in that context, toaward the back of the mixed border, is that shorter plants will cover the base of the rose -- roses in general are unattractive at their bases, and IMO need shorter shrubs or herbaceous plants to cover their ankles.

This shrub is also a great one to grow clematis through -- any of the pink flowered varieties, Hagley hybrid, also the reds like Ville de Lyon or Mme. Julia Correvon, all look especially good with the bluish-red foliage.

Great points David, Todd, and Jkom. I've had my plant for about six years and it hasn't gotten near the size of David's nor the fullness of Todd's. However, my plant is in a certain location behind the pool where many things do not grow well or sometimes not at all. I suspect that the pool installers (35 years ago!) might have washed out their concrete equipment or committed some other crimes against soil at that location. So this could account for the weak growth I reported.

Have any of you grown Rosa glauca in shade? Half shade? What has been the result?

Forgot to mention the hips, which are indeed nice. Usually I pull mine fairly early and collect the seed. Seed germination is low, but the little roselings all seem to come up true to type. This year I hope to try a few cuttings.

Scott

I just got one of these this summer...I adore the foliage and am glad to hear all this information on it. I put mine in my perennial bed where I HOPE it will not get as large as mentioned. It is supposed to well in some shade (good for me).

I've seen them on the north side of a house...few flowers but excellent foliage. Around here, they rarely top 6 feet. I keep mine around 4-5 feet.

Isn't that just the most refreshing, pretty little flower, though! Great picture, Todd! Truth is, this is a foliage plant. But though the flowering period is short, and certainly doesn't provide the "rose" flowers we've all become accustomed to, that little, pink flower is just delightful!

Scott

So much better than the "black spot on a stick" ones.

Here is a picture of a Rosa glauca hybrid that I created with a Rosa glauca flower balanced next to it's double flowered offspring. Glauca is a great rose and looks very nice next to Colorado Spruce. I planted this rose in the middle of three spruce and it's cane reached up and out of branches of the spruce. It was a very nice color combination until the rose eventually got shaded out. There is a glauca cross called Sir Cedric Morris that is rampant climber for those in a milder climate.

David that is gorgeous...just how did you DO that again?

I've been following along here and admiring your wonderful photos :) I've been a fan of this Rose for a long time. Grown in the full shade under pines in my gardens in Maine it WAS stunning. However, when I dragged it with me and planted in our gardens in Virginia it hasn't thrived - just doesn't seem to be as vigorous and the foliage isn't as stunning as it was in the cooler climate. I'm guessing because of the more humid environment? I'm not giving up though, I'm going to plant another in a different location and see if it performs any better.

David_Vermont, I'm intrigued with Sir Cedric Morris. I've been looking for a rampant climber to plant on a new arbor. I can't find much information on this cultivar but this might be just what I've been looking for. Even though it doesn't have the pretty pink flowers it does have the same lovely R. glauca foliage. I'll keep my fingers crossed that I won't have similar problems with its performance.

Debbie

Debbie,

I have never seen Sir Cedric Morris "in the flesh" but have always been intrigued by it's discription. The hybridizing that I use to do was an attempt to develop hardy climbers. My R. glauca hybrid is much more vigorous than the species with leaves and stems close to the color of glauca. The pollen parent was a R. kordesii cultivar which increased the flower size and made it double.

How is glauca pronounced ? It seems like
a tough one to pronounce. Is this rose
also called rosa rubrifolia ? I have 3
that have olive green foliage with mauve
edges. One in part sun seems to like it
well. Beautiful foliage. jim

glawca

I say it more like "gl-owl-ca", but either way gets the point across. However it is pronounced, it is synonymous with "rubrifolia".

That's with the midwest accent.

Come to think of it, it is! That Cincinnat twang. I remember when we lived in Baltimore (Towson) (for one year when I was 12), we lived in a hawse. Never got used to that. Oh, and for a treat, we would eat out at Hawsner's (spelled: Housener;s, I think) Restaurant. Is it still there?

Scott

This message was edited Dec 23, 2006 3:18 PM

This message was edited Dec 23, 2006 3:19 PM

Hausners IS no longer. And yeeah the Bawlmer accent is terrble hon. Yous probly lived near me.

I'm with the 'au' in glauca being the same sound as in 'owl' or 'ouch'

Resin

I lived on Picadilla Circle. I remember that much. And there was an orphanage or something behind the houses across the street and a ravine with huge tulip poplars behind my house. That's about all I remember. Oh, and a couple of trips up to a couple of reservoirs where we picked blueberries and fed HUGE carp pieces of bread.

Scott