Rosa brunonii 'La Mortola' (Ra)

RHS Plant Profile
rose 'La Mortola'

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rose 'La Mortola' RHS

Synonyms

Rosa moschata 'La Mortola'
Rosa 'La Mortola'

Plants for pollinators
Climber Wall Shrub Roses

Rampant rambler rose to 10m or more in height. The leaves are grey-green with pointed leaflets and tend to hang down. Clusters of very fragrant, large, single, white flowers with prominent yellow stamens, cover the branches in mid-summer, followed by small, orange-red hips

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

8-12 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
2.5-4 metres
Max Height
8-12 metres

Growing Conditions

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

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

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
Climbing
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

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

Rambler roses are vigorous shrubs with long, arching, thorny or smooth stems carrying glossy foliage and large sprays of small, single or double, often fragrant flowers in early summer

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grows best in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in a warm, sunny position where the wood will ripen. Mulch in late winter and, to improve flowering, apply a balanced fertiliser in late winter or early spring. See rose cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or hardwood cuttings in autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Mediterranean climate plants
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Climber and wall shrubs
  • Wall side borders

Pruning

See pruning group 18 (rambler roses) and our video How to prune rambling roses

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, rose leafhopper, glasshouse red spider mite, scale insects, caterpillars, large rose sawfly, rose slugworm sawfly and rose leaf-rolling sawfly. Deer and rabbits can cause damage

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