The Mary Rose is a hybrid shrub rose in the rose family (Rosaceae) bred in 1983 by David Austin of Britain, who named it after Henry VIII’s recovered flagship. Parentage is Wife of Bath® × The Miller This busy shrub grows 4-5 feet tall and wide and prefers full sun in amended, well-drained, moist garden soil. Prune in late winter to early spring. Semi-evergreen in warmer climates. The pink 3–4-inch flowers have a strong fragrance and are fully double with 40-60 petals in a loose-petalled form. The flowers appear in clusters, and the plant reliably repeat blooms through frost. Glossy green leaves are on stems with prickles. Use this attractive shrub in the border, as a hedge, as a specimen or for screening and privacy. It will work in a cottage, cutting or English garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Good disease resistance. See pests of roses to the left. Deer will browse roses. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Rosa .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheRosa Hero® 'AUShero'Rosa Sharifa Asma® 'AUSreef'Rosa The Countryman 'AUSman'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Rose; Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
medium glossy green leaves
Flower color
Pink
Flower value
Fragrant; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
4-5 inch pink flowers with 40-60 petals in a loose petaled form. Repeats reliably. Grows in clusters
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Stems with red prickle
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #English garden #double flowers #cutting garden #deer browsing plant #full sun #pink flowers #shrub rose #fragrant flowers #cottage garden