Old Bush or Blush is one of the best-loved and easiest-to-grow Old Southern Garden Roses. It has graced the yards of grand plantations, manor houses, homesteads, and simple cabins across the Southern US and Europe for centuries.
Touted to be the rose that inspired the Thomas Moore poem 'Last Rose of Summer (though some experts dispute that based on the timeline), it is easy to see the reasoning. This rose is a reliable and continuous bloomer that continues to bloom into the Dog Days long after others have surrendered to the sweltering heat and humidity.
The Bush grows sturdy and upright, with a naturally full and branching habit, maturing at 6 to 7 feet on average. It is resilient, resistant, and self-curing. It will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions except wet, muddy, poorly draining areas and withstand a fair degree of neglect once well established.
Flowers are medium-sized doubles in varying shades of clear medium pink in short-stemmed clusters and are moderately fragrant.
