Rosa banksiae 'Lutea' - Rambling Rose

The Rosa banksiae 'Lutea', Lady Banks's rose with double yellow flowers, is a force of nature, capable of covering a pergola in 4 or 5 years. Rosa banksia is a robust rose plant that grows quickly and bears yellow flowers from early spring to late May. This vine-plant rose lacks thorns and is well-suited to hot and dry climates. Its leaves are glossy green and look healthy, even in cold weather. The most popular variety of this rose is the 'Lutea' Banks rose, which is widely grown for its resilience and ability to resist cold. Although it does not have a strong scent, it brings joy for three weeks every April-May.

This rose plant is native to mountainous regions in central and western China, where it grows between 500 and 2200 meters (1640 and 7218 feet) above sea level. The plant was named after Lady Banks, the wife of Sir Joseph Banks, who brought it back from China. The Banks rose does not have thorns and its growth is impressive: young stems can grow over 3 to 4m (10 to 13ft) in a season. It is easy to prune and shape the plant, which can grow up to 12m (39ft) in height and cover a base of 6m (20ft) on the ground.

The Banks rose is known for its yellow flowers that bloom during spring and early summer. They are small and grow in clusters of four to fifteen. The plant is capable of getting rid of mildew on its own, which makes it an excellent choice for gardeners. Its evergreen leaves are divided into three narrow and short leaflets, which add to its beauty.

This rose surprises and fascinates when they see it in an old garden for the first time: is it a rose? But roses only bloom in summer, at best in late spring; everyone knows that...

The Banks rose 'Lutea' likes to surprise, invade trees, and slip between cypress trees in a hedge, where it expresses its formidable conqueror vigour. Its extraordinary vegetation transforms and elegantly dresses a fence or wall from January to December in a sheltered location or mild climates. In a warm garden, it will provide perfect shade on a south facing large pergola. Easy to maintain, mostly grown on its own roots, the plant requires no watering once well established and no treatment. Although it is undemanding and very sober, it would benefit from the shelter of a wall outside the olive tree zone and maximum sunlight to induce its fabulous flowering. We know a 120-year-old specimen still faithfully blooms (sometimes as early as February) in a self-sufficient garden in the south of France. The Banks rose can be paired with a summer-flowering clematis for a flowering wall all summer.