|
|
"Banshee" rose Reviews & Comments
-
-
|
This can be a truly horrid rose if it doesn't like your climate. Many people, myself included, get to see 90% of the buds fall off before opening, and many of those ball badly. I would estimate that in any given year, about 5% of the blooms open properly. The plant can send up suckers up to 15 feet from the parent plant, making it unsuitable for most small gardens.
On the plus side, it is hardy in the very coldest of climates and suffers none of the typical disease problems. The few blooms you do get are very nicely scented. A rose to grow in difficult climates where weather doesn't generally cause balling.
|
REPLY
|
-
-
|
"Banshee -- R. amoena grandiflora - Sweden
Low growing half hardy-bush with smooth, flat distinctive leaves. Flowers good size, double, good form, lovely shell pink. Blooms once. unfortunately, its petals are so soft and fine that most of the flowers ball up and refuse to open. At one time I had one growing under the eaves of the porch, where it was protected from sun and rain. It was beautiful!
Walter Schowalter, Alberta Canada notes 1985
|
REPLY
|
|
Your comment about its tendency to ball up -- describes my mystery rose to a tee! I have wondered and wondered about my foundling. I have had it for years and last year it was destined to be shovel pruned. I was tired of the flowers balling up and the die back.
Something this spring made me give it another try. I relocated it. Gave it TLC next to my teas. It has subsequently turned into a hedgerow of thorny branches next to my greenhouse. It will receive max. hot sun in the spring, he better like it! This is his last location, he's on notice.
I have also noticed (see above about dieback) that this rose hates to be touched with clippers. So I"m leaving it alone. It also turns bright yellow in the autumn, its still holding forth with bright yellow and some orange foliage out there, and its already January. Where the leaves have dropped, new fat bud eyes are already standing by.
This foundling, which I purchased off of Ebay on 9-10-01 will always have a special place -- I didn't get him until 3 weeks later, he was mostly dead when Fedex finally delivered the wee stick....but he happily perked up over the winter when I potted him up. The seller stated that the mother plant was unknown, but had been climbing on her grandparents' barn since the 1700's at least, and had been identified by rose rustlers in her area (Bucks County, PA) as "Banshee'
I love mystery roses.
Please, oh please, bloom this spring.
|
REPLY
|
|
