October 26th, 2003
Rose ‘Heritage’

photo: rose Heritage
David Austin‘s ‘Heritage’ rose. Austin, Texas. 2003-10-26.

In The Rose Bible, Rayford Clayton Reddell names the English Rose ‘Heritage’ in his list of fifty immortal roses. Delicately colored and intensely scented, the cupped flowers have all the charm of old-fashioned roses. Reddell says that ‘Heritage’ is “reasonably disease-resistant”. However, it is the only rose bush in my garden that has repeated problems with black spot.

The only other complaint I have about ‘Heritage’ is that each flower loses its petal very quicky, before they fade or brown, when they are still glossy and fresh.

However, it is a very beautiful rose and one of the most strongly scented roses I have.

photo: rose Heritage

by M Sinclair Stevens

5 Responses to post “Rose ‘Heritage’”

  1. From Don:

    I planted two Heritage roses in my church garden this year, along with Sceptered Isle and Shropshire Lad. They all get blackspot in Indiana.

    This fall, I purchased two of DA’s Mayflower, a plant he dedicated for North America. Supposedly it has not gotten any blackspot in ten years or so of testing.

  2. From margaret:

    What a delightful rose “Heritage”is and how fortunate you are to have it in flower at this time of the year. Over her in the damp north west of England roses and are summer are a distant memory.

  3. From Sam Brungardt:

    I have grown ‘Heritage’ here in St. Paul, Minn. for at least 10 years. Only winter protection it gets is the snow I shovel off the walk. It does get blackspot and loses quite a few leaves from this, but never seems to be without some flowers, which are a delight to behold and smell. Their color mixes with just about everything. My ‘Heritage’ generally is winterkilled to the ground each year, but regrows vigorously each spring (I planted it extra deep so the scion would strike root).

    Sam, I love my ‘Heritage’ too. The scent is marvelous…more citrus than rose. I just wish it would hold its petals longer. — mss

  4. From Lise, Charlottesville, Virginia:

    I have had this rose for about 15 years and it is the best. Yes it loses petals quickly and gets blackspot, but it blooms straight through to frost, when deadheaded and the fragrance is wonderful. I prune it freely and it’s always eager to fill out. Love it!

  5. From k c durnett Arkansas:

    I planted a Heritage rose in 2009. It bloomed once or twice, then started losing leaves. (2009 was a very wet year.) Fed and sprayed which did not help. Pruned it in 2010, same thing happened. (2010 was a very dry year.) Cut it back in Feb. and no roses, losing leaves, etc. The George Burns, Marilyn Monroe and two other roses near it are doing fine.

    What am I doing wrong? What should I do next?

    Any help will be appreciated.