Rosa × harisonii 'Williams' Double Yellow' (SpH)

RHS Plant Profile
old yellow scotch rose

Other common names

Scotch yellow rose, yellow scotch rose

Synonyms

Rosa pimpinellifolia 'Williams' Double Yellow'
Rosa 'Williams' Double Yellow'
Rosa yellow Scotch
Rosa Scotch yellow
Rosa old yellow Scotch
Rosa pimpinellifolia double yellow-flowered

Roses

A large old-fashioned rose to about 1.2m tall, with mid-green ferny foliage and small, strongly fragrant, bright yellow, loosely double blooms have pale green carpels instead of stamens, produced in abundance, once flowering in summer; introduced 1846

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

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

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

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or 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
Bushy
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
Accepted
Horticultural Group
Spinosissima Hybrids are small, freely-suckering shrubs with prickly stems bearing neat, fern-like foliage, and cupped, single flowers in early summer, followed by spherical purplish to black fruits

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun or partial shade and moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. For best flowering apply a balanced fertiliser and mulch in late winter or early spring and a balanced fertiliser again in early summer. Ideal for informal hedging and shady areas. See rose cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in early to mid spring, hardwood cuttings in late summer to autumn or by chip budding in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Coastal
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Cut flowers
  • 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 and sometimes honey fungus. May also be susceptible to disorders rose blindness and flower balling