'Albertine' will experience extensive cane loss from winter kill in some Z5b winters. My winters generally have high precipitation, and average humidity is 50% here in the heart of the Great Lakes. Wild temperature swings are common. Some winters though, it comes through fine and puts on a great show. 'Albertine' likely reaches the (useful and honest) northernmost limits of its cold tolerance here in Southern Michigan, Z5b.
This is an area where even the likes of 'New Dawn' will struggle. 'Westerland' dies to the crown every winter. 'Dr. Huey' seems odd/highly particular/located in ideal microclimes as he ranges from pathetic and useless as an understock or in the garden to rather massive things with good hardiness. You always know the Good Doctor when you see him in the deep red finery of his spring suit.
Is Albertine self cleaning or does it hold on its wasted blooms for the rest of the year? This is important to know for rampant ramblers like this if one does not feel deadheading a large rambler under the heat is an enjoyable passtime.
The 2011 reference says: " Later the bloom dies most ungracefully and hangs on to its dead petals. Not in a spreading way, but losing all oomph in the petal and just collapsing to hang like a wet dishcloth in the middle of the pretty cluster."
On this part (Albertine is a triploid and sets no hips) of what You wrote in that article, I have to respectfully disagree as for setting hips... for it sets quite a few hips. See attached photo's I made today. Sorry for the less sharp photo's, for the light-conditions were bad and I didn't have a steady stand and or hand.
That is so interesting Jay-Jay. You certainly have many hips there. I've double checked where that information came from and it was G. D. Rowley, writing in the 1960 American Rose Annual, page 110 on Triploid Garden Roses. Among the other Wichuraiana roses he mentioned in the article were 'American Pillar', Dr. W. van Fleet', 'New Dawn', 'Albertine' and 'Emily Gray'.
I actually do have a photo of a miserable hip or two on 'American Pillar' and will add that to its file. Perhaps it may be that a hip may not signify fertility? But I will be watching my 'Albertine' for hips this year. Patricia
Being triploid discourages seed fertility, not necessarily hip setting. Hip setting is very much affected by the existence of well developed reproductive organs on the flower.
The dead flowers hang for a while, but after a while, when the hips swell, the petals disappear. But maybe that was due to a lot of rain and wind. Will observe this next year.
I can frequently be seen beating my monstrous Christine Helene with a long stick. I don't know what the neighbours think, and I don't actually care - by this I get rid of all the wilted petals without deadheading. And Christine Helene has hundreds of blooms. While hips form on the beaten part, she makes new trusses on new canes. So that's my low-tech recommendation, beat it with a stick. Love the golf club tip as well.
I would have never thought about this tip (and the leaf blower) as a way to deal with dead flower petals as an alternative to deadheading a massive prickly shrub. I've avoided getting some of the larger gorgeous roses, because of the deadheading task, so Thank you!
Pearson's Encyclopedia of Roses (1956), pg. 170. Albertine (Wichuraiana Rambler) (R. wichuraiana X Mrs. A. R. Waddell) Superb red, pink and gold buds opening to coppery-pink blooms. Very fragrant. If there is only room for one rambler, choose this variety. (Barbier, 1921.)
