Rosa Mary Rose - English Shrub Rose

The rose Mary Rose is one of David Austin's finest creations. It is remarkable for its early, regular, and particularly long flowering period, which rarely leaves this beautiful bush devoid of flowers between May-June and October-November. Its double flowers, in large, slightly loose cups, evolve from deep pink when they open to pale pink when fully bloomed, creating a charming range of pink shades on the plant. Their fragrance is that of old roses, with a hint of honey and almond. It is a variety that will not disappoint lovers of old roses or impatient gardeners, as it grows quickly and has good disease resistance. 

The rose Mary Rose was introduced in 1983. It belongs to the family of English Roses, a term coined by David Austin himself. These roses are obtained by crossing an old rose (gallica, bourbon, etc.) with a Hybrid Tea or a Floribunda. They are well-known for being highly repeat-flowering, and their flowers are renowned for their beautiful, regular rosettes and strong fragrance. 'Mary Rose', particularly reliable and healthy, has been the parent of many beautiful creations by the famous British breeder (13 to date) such as Winchester Cathedral, Eglantyne, or more recently Glamis Castle. It is a cross between the roses 'Wife of Bath' and 'The Miller'.

It is a lush, well-branched shrub rose, with a naturally bushy habit slightly taller than wide. At maturity, it will reach about 1.20m (4ft) in height and 90cm (35in) in width. The plant constantly produces new shoots of a pinkish colour, from the bottom to the top of the bush. In this early variety, flowering occurs as early as spring and continues regularly throughout the summer. The flowers, grouped in small clusters of 4 or 5, measure about 8cm (3in) wide and resemble the flowers of old Damask roses. These double flowers stand upright on firm stems. Each flower is composed of more than 40 undulate petals arranged informally in a slightly loose cup. They start off fairly deep pink when they bloom and then fade to a tender and fresh pink, with the centre of the flower remaining darker than the periphery. Mary Rose's foliage, with its wide leaflets, is a medium green and slightly shiny. Its disease resistance is rather good, depending on the climate and growing conditions. Note that this rose tolerates heat and partial shade, and even shade in hot climates.

This English rose, Mary Rose, remains fairly compact, bushy at will, has excellent staying power, and flowers for 6 months. It is therefore perfect for layering in a rose bed alongside taller varieties and groundcover roses. It could be paired with roses such as 'Astronomia', 'The Fairy', or 'Gloire des Polyanthas'. To add a contrast to this predominantly pink bed, plant white double roses like Winchester Cathedral, blue campanulas, the perennial geranium Blue Cloud, or the small herbaceous clematis with blue bells, Clematis heracleifolia that loves to weave through the roses.

Created by David Austin in 1983.