Can anyone tell me about the disease resistance of this rose? It will have to endure partial shade and I've been told by some nurserys that it would be fine. The second question is would this work for a pillar? Thanks for your help.
I have mine growing in mostly shade in a pot - absolutely no disease. Drought tolerant in a pot. Blooms more of course when it gets sufficient water. Tough little rose.
In Victoria BC (now zone 8b - cool summer, temperate winter) I find this to be astonishingly healthy. I have a large specimen that I planted over 20 years ago. Deer invaded our neighbourhood after that, and ate all the bottom 3 - 4 feet off it, but it continued to grow upward , curling around a telephone pole, forming a large ball maybe 8' wide from about 5 ' to 12 ' above the ground. It gets almost no disease, and is nearly evergreen. Flowers from May to November.... scent has been described as strong, but I would say it is actually "moderately strong" - but very nice.
Of the 40 or so roses I had in our front garden, the deer killed most of them - leaving only Felicia, Cl. The Fairy and New Dawn - all because they could grow up and escape the deer. Felicia brings me a great deal of pleasure.
That being said, I have seen it encumbered with blackspot in other locations, but not devastatingly so - more annoying than harmful to the overall plant health.
