Princess Alexandra of Kent

The name is as much a mouthful as the plant. While David Austin touts this as a slightly more compact variety — which it likely is in the English climate — in my New Jersey garden, it grows with significant vigor, and I have been impressed with the size it added by the end of its second season. While one could say that this sort of electric bubblegum pink is a bit untoward (it’s certainly about as female oriented a color as any I’ve seen), there is a stunning consistency in the perfection of its blooms — and it produces a lot of them.

Pros:

  • Produces dozens upon dozens of perfect blooms of such dazzling color they are difficult to photograph
  • Surprisingly spunky personality and vigor
  • Will attempt to bloom into December, even if there are light frosts

Cons:

  • Scent is milder than David Austin suggests (the only variety in which I’ve found scent a bit lacking)
  • Will bloom itself to exhaustion, and hence…
  • Very prone to blackspot. Requires vigilant anti-fungal efforts
My Source: David Austin Roses
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