Lady Banks Rose

Lady Banks rose also known as the Rosa Banksiae is a species rose from central and western China. It grows in the mountains at the height of 500-2200m above the sea level. It was first imported to England in 1807 from China and was introduced by William Kerr. The name was dedicated to the wife of the botanist Sir Joseph Banks who was an eminent member of the Captain Cook’s expedition. The original cultivator was Alba Plena.

It is now very commonly grown in the warmer zones. The rose is almost prickle free with a very few thorns of 5 mm length. It blooms once every season which starts late spring or early summer. However the foliage is evergreen. The blooms of the flower range from being semi double to double. The size of each flower is small with 1.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter. The blooms bear little to moderate sweet but penetrating scent of the violets. The rose can be raised as a shrub or a climbing variety.

This plant is highly resistant to diseases like blackspots and mildews.

The rose is hardy for USDA zones 6-11.
There are two types of species generally found:  Yellow and white.

Yellow Lady Banks Rose: This type was brought to England in 1824 by J.D. Park. The rose was first cultivated by Lutea and is also known as Rosa Banksiae Lutea. In the shrub form the rose can attain the height of 3.5 feet. When trained to climb on a trellis or arbors the rose can attain the height up to 15-20 feet. The rose can also be trained to climb up on the tree and in that case can even reach the height of 30-35 feet. The color of the flower is lemon yellow and displays prolific blooms in late spring for up to 4 weeks. The plant requires subsequent care but adorns the growing place beautifully in turn.

White Lady Banks Rose: This was the original that was introduced in the year 1807. The blooms are white in color and range from semi double to full double. The fragrance of the white is stronger than its counterpart. The climbing characteristics are similar to that of the yellow.

The pruning of the rose is not as severe as hybrid tea rose and should be pruned after the flowering season as these rose flowers on old canes. Pruning and training the rose is comparatively easy as the stems are prickle-free. Pruning of the dead and diseased canes and woods can be done throughout the year. Trimming and shaping the plant can be the important part of this rose care. With little care, the Lady Banks Rose can provide beautiful landscaping for your garden.