Rosa 'AUSprior' 'CLAIRE AUSTIN' shrub rose (David Austin)

Claire Austin rose is one of the finest white roses David Austin bred so far. It produces pleasingly cupped buds of a pale lemon shade which gradually open to form large, creamy-white, full-bloom flowers of typical English Musk delicacy. Their petals are perfectly arranged in concentric circles, with a few more loosely arranged in the centre. They have a strong fragrance based on myrrh with dashes of meadowsweet, vanilla and heliotrope. Excellent repeat flowering, hardiness, and health make this rose one of the most sought-after white varieties. It was patented in 2007 and named after David Austin’s daughter Claire.

Planting instructions: Prepare a hole of size 30x30 cm. Put your rose in the way that the grafting point is 3 cm deep in the soil. Water well and cover new shoots with soil or bark mulch about 15 cm high. Roses tolerate wide range of soils but thrive in deep, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil, in full sun.

Pruning: English roses don’t need regular hard pruning like tea hybrids. Just cut last year’s growth by one third to maximum one half in the spring (after frosts) to achieve desired shape, and strong and reliable framework. Cutting it back to 3-5 live buds is possible for re-juvenating. To support extra flowering during the season remove twigs past blossom: cut them off the first leaf with 5 bracts. Mulch well before winter, preferably with leaf-mould.

Last update: 06-01-2016