David J. C. Austin
(1958-2026)
David J. C. Austin leaves a legacy of “millions of exquisite roses that will live on for so many, enriching all our lives.”
Rose grower David J. C. Austin died this week at his Shropshire home, surrounded by his family. He had been diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a rare and incurable neurological condition that causes brain damage, which worsens rapidly.
Born in 1958 into a family of rose growers, in 1990, the Chairman of David Austin Roses, David J. C. Austin joined the family business in Albrighton, Shropshire just as his father, the late David Charles Henry Austin, was gaining wider recognition for his work breeding exciting new roses. Known as English Roses, these crosses between old roses and modern repeat-flowering cultivars, selected for fragrance and rosette form, revolutionised the rose market following the introduction in 1961 of Constance Spry (‘Ausfirst’).
The Victorian Garden at David Austin Roses with Rambling Rosa (‘Francis E. Lester’)
By the start of the 21st century David Austin Roses Limited was probably the most successful rose brand in the world, and to date, more than 200 English Roses have been introduced.
The sales area in the nursery of David Austin Roses
- Rosa Olivia Rose Austin (‘Ausmixture’), named for his daughter and now regarded as one of the company’s most reliable and healthy pink roses.
- Rosa Claire Austin (‘Ausprior’), a widely grown white climber named for his sister Claire, an RHS Council Member who runs her own successful nursery.
- Rosa Desdemona (‘Auskindling’) and Rosa Lady of Shalott (‘Ausnyson’) and numerous other 21st century English Roses have become favourites in gardens around the world and strengthened the firm’s reputation for repeat flowering, healthy and fragrant plants.
- In 2025 the company unveiled Rosa The King’s Rose (‘Ausa27a16’), a collaboration with The King’s Foundation. David described recognising something special in the rose while walking through the trial fields and linked its introduction to a longstanding relationship between the nursery and King Charles III dating back to the 1990s. The rose is notable as the company’s first striped introduction, echoing the ancient
cultivar
Rosa Claire Austin (‘Ausprior’)
“He was kind and modest, with a playful spirit, a sense of adventure and a real enjoyment of life. He faced his illness with the same courage and dignity that he brought to life.”
“Above all, he was our Dad, and words cannot express how much we will miss him. We couldn’t be more proud of him.”
“The Austin family would like to thank everyone who cared for David and supported them during his illness.”
Olivia Rose Austin (‘Ausmixture’)
Hundreds of comments and photos of roses were posted in a Facebook group, announcing his death.
One commentator said: “Every night, I look at and admire my David Austin roses, inspecting for more
One of the David Austin rose fields
Another said: “Rest in peace and thank you David J. C. Austin for your passion, dedication, commitment and hard work to create repeat flowering roses that grace so many gardens, balconies, streets and parks. Here are some of my 65 roses in my small garden in Potsdam Germany. With gratitude‚ we now bow our heads.”
David Austin Roses will continue under its existing experienced leadership team, working closely with the next generation of the Austin family.
