Picture and comment on the rose Excellenz von Schubert from Christine, Reno NV.

Often you have a rose for many years before you really can see what its shape and size is going to be, and before there is enough wood that you can really experiment with how best to prune and shape it. Such has been the case with Excellenz von Schubert. My Excellenz von Schubert rose started as a twig, planted in fall 2002. Five and a half years later, I can see the shape of the mature plant developing. It is now 4 1/2 ft tall and looks like it could fill an 8 foot circle if it didn't have neighbors to contend with.

Thisbe, Jean LaJoie and Escapade mingle their own long reaching canes with the thornless ones of Excellenz von Schubert. All this builds a glorious early summer picture with small blooms of creamy yellow Thisbe and sprays of perfect little pink blooms Jean LaJoie backed by the more upright light purple Escapade, and the variegated mauve of Excellenz von Schubert. So this year I finally am able to really get into this mess of canes and trim out the weak. Thornlessness helps greatly, both in the danger factor and in sorting out which canes are from where.

Excellenz von Schubert has had some ugly burnt looking leaves in summer here, but has recovered by fall. Now that the weak wood is all removed, I will be watching to see whether that tendency is outgrown. It took four years to begin reblooming - definitely a rose which needs maturity to show what it can do, hard won here, but worth the wait.