Group/Class:  Shrub Rose

Description:

Close to producing a blue rose, clusters of flowers that open plum purple and fade to slate blue-maroon; flowers in flushes all season; may be trained onto trellises or walls; susceptible to blackspot

Ornamental Features

Rhapsody In Blue Rose features showy clusters of lightly-scented violet flowers with pink overtones and gold eyes at the ends of the branches from late spring to early fall, which emerge from distinctive plum purple flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has forest green deciduous foliage. The serrated oval compound leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Rhapsody In Blue Rose is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a high maintenance shrub that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Disease
• Spiny

Rhapsody In Blue Rose is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Rhapsody In Blue Rose will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Rhapsody In Blue Rose makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.