18 years ago I left my home in Missouri, where I had a large garden with numerous very hardy herbs, shrubs, and flowers. In the years since, the new owners have destroyed all the plantings and eventually even the house and the sheds were torn down. The only thing left on an otherwise empty lot that is all green lawn is the large Sir Thomas Lipton rose I had planted a couple of years before I left in the front yard. It isn't even own root--one year as I drove by I could see the understock blooming as well. But evidently whoever owns the lot now at least knows to get rid of that, because I haven't noticed it the last couple of years. But I think this proves this is a very hardy, self-sufficient and self-advertising rose that can protect itself from drought, heat, disease, and people who otherwise clearcut gardens.

Sir Thomas Lipton gets little praise from rose books, but its a fine rose in my opinion. I live in Richmond Virginia in zone 7 and it grows and blooms like crazy with little to no disease. The only thing is, the flowers tend to open very flat instead of the photos here in the database. Its beautiful and snow white and the thorns are like evil fur on the canes which can approach 3 inch diameter at the base on an established plant. Mine is from a cutting off a friends bush which reached 12 feet by as wide in 8 years. New canes emerge already with great diameter looking like red furry broom sticks elongating from the base. It seems to have extreme vigor. Hers is virus free from Heirloom roses.

Everyone says this rose has a great smell, but mine has none! I have had it for over 7 years now. Is there something I can do to help it along? I think it may have mosaic virus, but it is very healthy and has beautiful flowers.