This plant is own-root. The soil here is gravelly clay-loam that tests neutral but some areas of the backyard show alkaline salt-blooms in low-rain years. I think this is a variety that is likely to do best in full sun (what it gets here) and it is irrigated weekly (slow, deep watering) during the summer dry months. The scent is very good, like narcissus and one of the reasons I bought it. It is susceptible to whatever our variety of black spot is, but conditions that allow that only occur for a few weeks in early spring in some years, so not a deal-breaker here. Otherwise, extremely healthy and, yes, strong on its own roots.