Hybrid Perpetual (George Paul, United Kingdom, 1868)
The Duke of Edinburgh is a elegant hybrid perpetual that has a dark red color with a full round bloom. This rose has a moderate fragrance and has light green foliage.
My 12 y/o Duke of Edinburgh is humongous. It’s sitting up front on an edge of a bed and faces the south in full sun all afternoon in MS. It stayed more true to size the first 2-3 years. It’s been continuously growing yearly in a tall, wide bushy shape. Currently it’s the middle of a warm January and it has reached about 7 ft tall and about 10 ft wide, wrapping around that edge. This is after some fall pruning. About 4 years ago it became too top-heavy and leaned over on its side and never showed signs of weakness. It has lovely kinda fruity and spicy smelling red blooms that for me its a continuous bloomer. Blooms from spring to frost. I love it. To avoid fungus growth, I do have to treat it with neem oil late fall before frost on its last feeding of the year, and repeat treatment with spring pruning. This is mainly because it’s not well drained where it’s sitting. When we have below freezing temps for several days (rarely) frost bitten stalks do need cutting out of the thick bushy bush.
That’s because it’s way to big to cover. Any work done to it is greatly rewarded. And oh, after a hard rain, there is a gorgeous cover of red petals underneath the bush. I love it!
Felicia Washington –
My 12 y/o Duke of Edinburgh is humongous. It’s sitting up front on an edge of a bed and faces the south in full sun all afternoon in MS. It stayed more true to size the first 2-3 years. It’s been continuously growing yearly in a tall, wide bushy shape. Currently it’s the middle of a warm January and it has reached about 7 ft tall and about 10 ft wide, wrapping around that edge. This is after some fall pruning. About 4 years ago it became too top-heavy and leaned over on its side and never showed signs of weakness. It has lovely kinda fruity and spicy smelling red blooms that for me its a continuous bloomer. Blooms from spring to frost. I love it. To avoid fungus growth, I do have to treat it with neem oil late fall before frost on its last feeding of the year, and repeat treatment with spring pruning. This is mainly because it’s not well drained where it’s sitting. When we have below freezing temps for several days (rarely) frost bitten stalks do need cutting out of the thick bushy bush.
That’s because it’s way to big to cover. Any work done to it is greatly rewarded. And oh, after a hard rain, there is a gorgeous cover of red petals underneath the bush. I love it!