Rosa × damascena var. semperflorens (D)

RHS Plant Profile
autumn damask rose

Other common names

four seasons rose, monthly rose, quatre saisons rose

Synonyms

Rosa Autumn Damask
Rosa × bifera
Rosa × damascena var. bifera
Rosa quatre saisons

Award of Garden Merit
Roses Shrubs

A vigorous, deciduous 'Autumn damask' rose to 1.5m tall, with open, arching prickly stems and downy grey-green foliage, bearing clusters of very fragrant, loosely-formed, double, clear silvery-pink blooms to 9cm across, produced in summer and then in flushes into autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand, Chalk

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand Chalk
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H6

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Rosaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Spreading branched
Potentially harmful
Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Fruit are ornamental - 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
Correct
Horticultural Group
Damask roses are shrubs of loose growth, with prickly stems and semi-double or fully double, usually very fragrant flowers, borne mostly in summer with a slight repeat in autumn

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun with fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Mulch with well-rotted organic matter in late winter or early spring, and for best flowering apply a general rose or shrub fertiliser in early spring and again in early summer. See rose cultivation

Propagation

For home use, propagate by hardwood cuttings in autumn, softwood cuttings (under glass) in spring or summer or by chip budding in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Hedging and screens

Pruning

See pruning group 20 (roses)

Diseases

May be susceptible to rose black spot, rose rust, replant disease, rose dieback, and rose powdery mildew. May also be susceptible to disorders rose blindness and flower balling and sometimes honey fungus