'The Fairy' rose is a dwarf shrub rose introduced in 1932. It is a hybrid of ‘Paul Crampel’ and ‘Lady Gay’ bred by J.A. Bentall of England. This is a Polyantha rose, which is a small rose with clusters of unscented, miniature flowers. It is a member of the rose family (Rosaceae). The bushy shrub is compact and grows 3 feet tall and wide. Keep the soil moist after planting for a month until it is established. Fertilize in early spring and summer to encourage flowering. The preferred environment is slightly acidic with medium moisture and well-drained, fertile soils. It tolerates partial shade but is less prone to diseases and flourishes in full sun. Minimal pruning is done in late winter or early spring only to control the size. Protect the crowns in cold winter areas. Apply mulch to maintain the soil moisture. Propagate by hardwood cuttings in autumn or by grafting in the summer. The Fairy Rose has good disease resistance and tolerates air pollution. It is hardy and drought-tolerant once established. The profuse clusters of small, one-inch, pink double flowers bloom continuously from May until frost. The flowers may fade to blush white during the summer. They have a mild to no fragrance. The small, glossy leaves have good resistance to fungal diseases. It received the Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society. Grow the Fairy Rose in groups as a small hedge, ground cover, or along borders. Use it a a foundation plant, in a rose or cottage garden or in containers. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The plant has good disease. May be susceptible to rose black spot, rose rust, replant disease, rose dieback, and rose powdery mildews. May also be susceptible to disorders rose blindness and flower balling and sometimes honey fungus. See pests of roses to the left. Deer will browse roses. 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 nicheClematis integrifoliaRosa 'Echo'Rosa Frida Kahlo™ 'WEKcifrabaun'
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
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: 2 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Cascading; Dense
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
The small mid-green glossy leaves.
Flower color
Pink
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Showy
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The cup-shaped, light pink flowers have 8 to 25 petals which look like a small rosette. The large cluster of blooms appear from May until frost with a heavy fall blush and are long-lasting.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Stem detail
Stems with prickles
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Attracts
Butterflies
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Slope/Bank
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cottage Garden
Design feature
Border; Foundation Planting; Hedge; Mass Planting; Small groups
Garden tags
#deciduous #pink flowers #long bloom season #butterfly garden #border front #small groups #fall flowers #summer flowers #full sun #spring flowers #mass planting #cottage garden #container plant #foundation planting #shrub rose #partial shade tolerant