Mary Rose
Introduced:   1983, David Austin, UK
Class:  Shrub / English
Zones:  4b-11
Parentage:  'Wife of Bath' x 'The Miller'
Flowers:  Cupped, Medium Pink, 3" - 4"
Height/Width:  5 feet x 5 feet (warm climates)
4 feet x 4 feet (cool climates)
Fragrance:  Musk
Of note:  Beautiful Old Rose flowers bloom regularly on a robust, disease resistant plant.   Absolutely first-rate.

Surely one of the top David Austin introductions to date, 'Mary Rose' offers old world flowers borne reliably throughout the season on a plant which is healthy and disease resistant.  'Mary Rose' lives up to the Mr. Austin's goal of developing "new 'Old Roses' - classic, cupped flowers which repeat flower on plants with the graceful growth habit of the roses of the past.  He set out to accomplish his goal four decades ago by breeding Old Roses with Hybrid Teas and Floribundas. 

'Mary Rose' offers Damask-like blooms in clusters on a plant which grows to five feet in the American garden.  Foliage is dark green and disease resistant.   Habit is well-branched and bushy.  Introduced with 'Graham Thomas'  in 1983 at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show, 'Mary Rose' made an impact which led to wide-spread appeal for David Austin's 'New English Roses'.

'Mary Rose' was named to commemorate the recovery of the flagship of King Henry VIII from the Solent after over four centuries.