Annie L. McDowell died in my zone 5a garden after 3 years, thanks to a dry-winter with no snow. This rose needs LOAMY soil high in potassium to prevent balling, and roots die easily if the soil dries out. Annie died instantly on my sister in southern CA, due to her alkaline tap-water. This rose prefers slightly acidic, and blooms best when there's tons of acidic rain. I planted my Annie 4 inches below ground, in full-sun, but it still died due its shallow root in dry winter & spring.
