Rosa x wichuraiana 'New Dawn' - Weeping Standard Rose

The 'New Dawn' Standard Rose forms a small tree crowned with trailing branches, transforming into a true fountain of roses in early summer, blooming more or less regularly throughout the summer with a beautiful second flush in autumn. It produces charming, medium-sized, rumpled roses, displaying a delicate pinkish and pearly colour, very pale on the edges and slightly richer in the heart of the flower. This fully bloomed rose bush emits a light fruity fragrance. It is a magnificent plant that should be showcased in the garden!

Standard roses are created by grafting one type of rose, like New Dawn, onto a different type of rose stem, such as Rosa canina, R. laxa, or R. multiflora. The graft is done at a specific height, usually 110-120 cm (43-47in) from the ground on a single, well-vertical stem. In areas with very cold winters, protecting the rootstock during the winter season may be necessary.

The 'New Dawn' Rose is a climbing mutation of the variety 'Dr. Van Fleet', obtained in 1930 by Somerset Rose in England. It carries the genes of the Wichura Rose (synonym Rosa luciae), a vigorous botanical species from eastern Asia. Its arching branches are very thorny, and its small foliage is a vibrant medium green with a satin finish. It can be slightly susceptible to black spot and powdery mildew, depending on the growing conditions. This deciduous foliage falls in autumn. 'New Dawn' blooms abundantly in early summer and then re-blooms to some extent during the summer if it doesn't lack water. The autumn flowering is regular, abundant, and prolonged. Its flowers are cup-shaped doubles with a diameter of 8 cm (3in), slightly rumpled, although one can already see modern roses' rounded and turbinate shapes. Grouped in small clusters, they are composed of 20 to 39 petals in a very tender and fresh silvery pink, slightly richer towards the centre of the flower, becoming almost white when fully mature.

Obtained by Somerset Rose in 1930.

The 'New Dawn' Standard Rose is best planted in a prominent position, in the centre of a flower bed, among perennials or low bushes, in a row along a pathway, near a patio or even in a large container on a balcony. It can also be planted in groups of 3, arranged in a triangle, or as a solitary plant on a lawn. It pairs well with perennial geraniums (Geranium Blue Cloud, Anne Folkard, Nimbus, Orion), bellflowers (lactiflora, rapunculoides), catmints, snapdragons, foxgloves... Standard roses are perfect for adding volume to beds of bush roses or ground cover roses.