Roses in hot climates

---

Alex,

 

Here in California we have a rule of thumb that near the (cool, foggy) coast, it is best if roses have 30 petals or less, so they won't be subject to disease before they can open. Inland, where it is quite hot, roses with over 30 petals are best, since ones with fewer would open so fast you'd miss them if you blinked.

 

This rule of thumb has nothing to do with whether the soil is kept moist all summer. This is another matter. I can't speak to that except to say I've seen photos of very nice Lady Banks roses climbing on garden structures in the American Southwest, which is a desert area, so I presume they tolerate heat as well as relatively dry soil.

 

Pam Peirce

San Francisco