Rosa 'Francis E. Lester' (HM/Ra) | rose 'Francis E. Lester'

Synonyms

Rosa 'F.E. Lester'

Climber Wall Shrub Roses

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Large, vigorous rambler rose about 4.5m tall, with coppery-tinted, dark green foliage. Pink buds open to large sprays of very fragrant, single, white blooms splashed pale pink on the edges of the petals, once-flowering in summer, followed by small red fruits (hips)

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

4-8 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

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

Growing Conditions

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

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): 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: 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: Hybrid Musk roses are vigorous shrubs with long, arching stems bearing glossy foliage, with large clusters of small fragrant double flowers in summer and autumn

How to Grow

Cultivation

A rose for plenty of space, grow in full sun with fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Vigorous rambler suitable for growing into trees. Tolerates poor soil, shade and a north aspect, suited for climbing into trees - rose cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by budding in summer, hardwood cuttings in autumn, chip budding, semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or by layering.

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 18 (rambler roses) - see our video How to prune rambling roses. Don't prune after flowering if fruits (hips) are required

Pests

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

Diseases

May be susceptible to rose black spot, rose rust and rose powdery mildew