Rosa × damascena (D)
damask rose
Vigorous rose to about 2m tall, with arching, prickly stems and dark green leaves, bearing clusters of very fragrant, semi-double, warm pink blooms to 8cm across with ruffled petals, opening in midsummer
Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
1.5–2.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Pink | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy, Spreading branched
- Potentially harmful
- Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
- Genus
Rosa can be deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs or scrambling climbers, with usually thorny stems bearing compound pinnate leaves and solitary or clustered flowers. Flowers may be followed by showy red or purple fruits in some varieties.
- Name status
Correct
- Horticultural Group
- Damask roses are shrubs of loose growth, with prickly stems and semi-double or fully double, usually very fragrant flowers, borne mostly in summer with a slight repeat in autumn
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Mulch with well-rotted organic matter in late winter or early spring, and for best flowering apply a general rose or shrub fertiliser in early spring and again in early summer. See rose cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by hardwood cuttings in autumn, softwood cuttings (under glass) in spring or summer or by chip budding in summer
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
See pruning group 20 (roses)
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, rose leafhopper, glasshouse red spider mite, scale insects, caterpillars, large rose sawfly, rose slugworm sawfly and rose leaf-rolling sawfly. Deer and rabbits can cause damage
Diseases
May be susceptible to rose black spot, rose rust, replant disease, rose dieback, and rose powdery mildew. May also be susceptible to disorders rose blindness and flower balling and sometimes honey fungus
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.