Roses are stunningly beautiful, but they’re notorious for being high maintenance. The classic cultivar ‘New Dawn’, however, is a delightful exception. A vigorous climber with glossy dark green foliage, it bursts with fragrant, double, pale pink flowers from early summer to autumn. Blooms can reach up to 3 inches across, and the show doesn’t stop there. In fall, this rose dazzles with showy red fruit. Many consider ‘New Dawn’, which was first introduced in 1930, to be one of the best repeat-flowering climbing roses.
Common name: ‘New Dawn’ rose
Botanical name: Rosa ‘New Dawn’
Plant type: Deciduous shrub
Zones: 5 to 9
Height: 8 to 12 feet
Family: Rosaceae
Growing conditions
• Sun: Full sun to part shade
• Soil: Humus-rich, moist, well-drained
• Moisture: Average to medium
Care
• Mulch: Mulch in summer to preserve moisture in the soil and prevent weeds.
• Pruning: Remove spent flowers and diseased leaves. Avoid pruning for the first two years after planting, then prune as needed in late winter to early spring.
• Fertilizer: Apply a balanced fertilizer in late winter or early spring. In spring and summer, apply a balanced liquid fertilizer every three weeks.
Propagation
• From softwood cuttings, semi-hardwood cuttings, hardwood cuttings; by grafting; and by budding.
Pests and diseases
• Roses are prone to black spot, powdery mildew, rust, and rose rosette. ‘New Dawn’, however, has excellent resistance to these diseases.
• Potential insect problems include aphids, beetles, borers, scale, thrips, rode midges, leafhoppers, and spider mites.
• Check with local rose associations and extension services to find specific advice for growing roses in your region.
Garden notes
• ‘New Dawn’ is great for training up walls, arbors, and fences. It’s also attractive as a freestanding shrub.
• The cultivar is also known and sold at nurseries as ‘Everblooming Dr. Van Fleet’.
• Water deeply and regularly (mornings are best). Avoid overhead watering.
• The plant’s crowns need winter protection, especially in cold winter areas.
• ‘New Dawn’ attracts butterflies.
All in the family
• There are about 150 species of semi-evergreen or deciduous shrubs and perennial climbers in the Rosa genus, some of which have been in cultivation for hundreds of years.
• Roses are found in a wide variety of habitats in Asia, Europe, North Africa, and North America.
• Rose species and cultivars are divided into old garden roses, consisting of those in existence before 1867, and modern roses, which include those introduced after 1867. Cultivars number many thousands and vary in habit.
Where to buy
• Petals from the Past, Jemison, AL, 205-646-0069, www.petalsfromthepast.com
• High Country Roses, Jensen, UT, 800-552-2082, www.highcountryroses.com
(Photo courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden’s Kemper Center for Home Gardening)