I just love New Dawn.
I love the soft, delicate, pink colour of its blooms and the fact that they are borne on a large rambling plant that is as tough as nails. I don’t love the long thorny canes that catch you as you walk past, though.
New Dawn ranks among the most popular roses grown today and I can understand why; it certainly has a lot going for it.
It flowers very profusely in spring and then repeats throughout summer and autumn. The flowers have a lovely scent and are semi-double. They are borne in clusters on stems long enough for cutting and the flowers last remarkably well in a vase. I kept this bunch in a vase for nearly a week and that included the 3 hour car trip to Perth.
New Dawn has been described as one of the best climbers due to its quick and abundant repeat-flowering.
New Dawn is a very vigorous climbing bush that throws out long arching canes. Its foliage is dark green and glossy and it is disease free. It needs little pruning but I find it does need tying back to the fence, or support it is supposed to be growing against, otherwise it could become unruly. I wouldn’t plant it on a walkway or in a narrow, confined space. It can easily climb to 6 metres and its canes are extremely prickly. New Dawn is reportedly excellent as a weeping standard because of its long trailing growth.
New Dawn is a climbing Hybrid Tea rose. Sally Allison, in her book, Climbing & Rambling Roses, notes that there would be no other rose involved more in the breeding of modern climbing and rambling roses.
New Dawn was elected to the World Rose Hall of Fame in 1997. It was introduced by Dreer, USA, in 1930.
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Glenda, I am glad you popped over to my blog. I love your garden, flowers and food. Will be following you:) Lara
Hi Lara, Thankyou soo much!
The delicate baby pink are breathtaking. Would look stunning anywhere but particularly on a lovely vintage high tea table are my thoughts!
Oh Mariana, they would be perfect on your high tea tables.
Beautiful…and appreciate the information first hand…the only way to really know what you’re getting is to hear from others that have grown it.
Hi Glenda, check out the Doc’s comments. He has two.
So pretty, Glenda! I love the colour!
Hi Celia. So do I, it is one of my favourites.
And did you know, New Dawn was the world’s first patented rose? We have two New Dawns growing on a big pergola on our deck – we planted it soon after coming here in 2001. I’ll never forget the sinking feeling I had when I opened the mail order box containing our newly ordered roses – we knew we wanted New Dawn but couldn’t find it locally, so I bought it from a very highly regarded rose nursery. But when I opened the package, inside was the tiniest rose I had ever seen – maybe 4″ high. I thought we had been ripped off – but I followed the directions well, and talked nicely to it daily.
Today, the trunks of both are about the size of my arm, and we have them growing along with a deep purple clematis – very beautiful. I don’t give it the care it deserves, maybe because it takes care of itself so well. I’ll do better!
Hi Doc, yeah I did know that but didn’t think others would care:( Does your New Dawn throw out long thorny canes like mine? Maybe this winter thin it out a bit and tie back branches to where they are supposed to be. How long does yours flower in your climate?
To be honest, if it does, I don’t notice ’cause it’s up over my head – the bloom period is from May thru October, but it slows down in mid-summer. Probably would be better if I deadheaded, but I don’t. This winter, I think I’ll prune it back all the way to where it enters the top of the pergola – I’m sure that’ll change everything.