Sunday, April 10, 2011

The Chronicles of Crepuscule


Last year for my birthday, I got a gallon plant of the climbing noisette rose Crepuscule.  It is a lovely apricot rose that was first developed in 1904, so it is definitely an old rose.  My research led me to believe that this noisette would love the hot, humid weather of Louisiana since the noisette family of roses originated in Charleston, South Carolina.



After only one year of growth it has not disappointed!  In it's first full spring in my yard it is exploding with blossoms.  I don't know if you could fit another bloom on this little climber.



The blooms are semi-double in form and have a pleasant, noticeable, and sweet fragrance.  The leaves are a beautiful spring green and totally undiseased for me in the first year, even without any fungicide.



The plant is not very large yet, but I would definitely describe the growth in the first year as vigorous.  It is already developing long, easily trained canes to clamber along the fence with.  I also really enjoy how bushy the plant is from the ground up.  Most climbers have "naked legs" that take away from the beauty of the plant.  Another pleasant thing about this rose is that it is not very thorny at all.  If this plant is characteristic of how all the noisettes perform in the South, then GET YOU SOME! 

I will be posting lots of roses in the next few blog entries because they are at peak bloom right now for me.  Hope you enjoy.  Sorry that my camera doesn't do well with some colors.

1 comment:

Rainy Day Gardener said...

Indeed, that is a beautiful climbing rose! I need to find one that prefers the cool, damp, pacific northwest...haha ;) Enjoy your roses :)