Archduke Charles Wins Again

Once again, the first rose to bloom in my yard is Archduke Charles.  For three straight years, this lovely little China rose has been my first to bloom.  It never lost its leaves all winter despite some of our coldest temperatures in recent memory.  There are quite a few roses in the "China" family and they are all ideal for the hot, humid weather of the South.  Most are very resistant to any disease - I don't spray mine at all any more - and they don't even need much pruning.  They have a pleasing, full and rounded form and they bloom throughout the year with hardly a break.  Archduke Charles has blooms that start off with light pink middles and darker outside petals, then over a couple of days the whole bloom deepens to a deep crimson.  In hotter months the blooms start off a darker color.  The fragrance is sweet and "peppery" to my nose.