Rosa Agnes, Yellow/Buff Hybrid Rugosa Rose

Are you a fragrance buff? Well, Rosa Agnes' buff flowers, begin as soft yellow buds that open to reveal a wonderful lemon fragrance.

Being delightfully scented, this flower is quite hardy but its foliage has a tendency toward a tattered appearance after blooming has ceased. For this reason, plant "Agnes" in the center of a mixed border so that other plants and blooms will camouflage its tattered characteristics. While Rosa Agnes tolerates dry, poor soil conditions, it doesn't do well in some areas due to its vulnerability to black spot and winter dieback. It's best to plant in full sun despite its shade tolerance, and when pruning in late winter, remove about one-third of the height and periodically remove older canes to keep plants growing vigorously. Girdler can be a problem, so remove deadwood and any canes that exhibit signs of infection.

Now, in mid late summer the leaves will turn bronze and you may lose some foliage, but please don't try spraying because it will make it worse. Planting in a border where Agnes can be concealed during this time is your best method of dealing with this characteristic.

• Class: Hybrid Rugosa
• Origin: Bred in Canada (1922) by Saunders
• Bloom: Very Double, Full, Open, Medium, Quite Fragrant
• Habit: Compact and bushy. Height of 6' x 5'.
• Growing: Susceptible to black spot in some regions. Susceptible to rose stem girdler.
• Parentage: Rosa rugosa x Rosa foetida var. persiana