Rosa 'The Fairy' (Poly)
rose 'The Fairy'
Short, compact but spreading rose about 60cm tall and 90cm wide, with plentiful, neat, very glossy dark green foliage. Small, globular, rosette-like, double, clear pink blooms to 2.5cm across, repeat-flower from summer into autumn
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Pink | Green | ||
| Autumn | Pink | Green | ||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy
- Potentially harmful
- Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Fruit are ornamentl - 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
Accepted
- Horticultural Group
- Polyantha roses are compact shrubs with thorny stems bearing glossy foliage and sprays of single or double unscented flowers intermittently in summer and autumn
How to grow
Cultivation
Grows best in full sun with fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. For best flowering apply a balanced fertiliser and mulch in late winter or early spring and a balanced fertiliser again in early summer - see rose cultivation. Tolerant of shade and its dense cushion-forming habit makes it suitable for low hedging
Propagation
Propagate by softwood cuttings in early to mid spring, hardwood cuttings in late summer to autumn or by chip budding in summer
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Banks and slopes
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
- Ground cover
- Hedging and screens
Pruning
See pruning group 22 (patio and miniature roses)
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, rose leafhopper, glasshouse red spider mite, scale insects, caterpillars, large rose 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 mildews. 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.