Hello- I’m interested in using this rose in my breeding program, but I’m confused about its winter hardiness. Most sources say it’s zone 5, but I have a photo that my sister took of it growing in the Devonian garden in Alberta. Is it cold hardy? As in zone 3? it’s a truly healthy rose here and I’m interested in its combination of disease resistance and potential hardiness.
Thanks
don
Hi Don! I have it in my garden here in zone 4 in the Twin Cities. It typically dies back to the ground and regrows. For me it has similar hardiness as Carefree Delight.
Thanks very much David. Do you happen to know its ploidy?
Hi Don!
It is triploid.
Many thanks.
Lady Elsie Mae has no descendants but I did have one seedling last yr from one OP hip that I kept. I do not remember the reason it is no longer among the living, but here is a photo. I was going to try a few crosses with it this yr., although I do remember trying a couple (not many) in prior yrs that did not produce any seedlings that survived. It tends to start blooming late and then like the Ever ready bunny, keeps going,etc. Here in San Diego Co. it really does very well, so maybe it has a wide range.
That photo doesn’t look like any Lady Elsie May I’ve seen.
Maybe she doesn’t look much like her mother, and then again maybe just putting OP behind her name and calling her an OP seedling was not making myself clear. This is not Lady Elsie Mae, but rather an Op seedling from a random hip. Her seed parent looks a lot like all the Lady Elsie Maes I have ever seen, which is really quite good looking when she is in full bloom and pruned a little to restrain her abundant growth.
Ach! Sorry, I missed that part!