Sweet intoxication was purchased from J&P as a fall container rose. So this would be its first season. Although the bush is very young, it is a heavy bloomer. It is already full with buds and has a few blooms on it. The smell mimemicks the name, it is a very sweet smelling rose. It is resistant to mildew and gets some blackspotting but very little. Winter hardy for zone 6 PA with mulch protection. I will give you a update on her growth habit over this growing season.
My next door neighbor and I both have VERY wide (flower covered bushes) of about 31/2 feet. but the bushes have were only planted early this year. Does not look like it will be really tall but who knows in LA? Sweetness, Memorial Day, Wild Blue Yonder, and Scentimental (which will grow into tree tops) planted in the same bed at the same time are all a foot or 2 taller, but it blooms better than them all.
I have to agree about the tendency to grow wide, I rooted a bud directly on sand under glass, and it sent all its initial canes horizontally in all directions before gaining even a half inch in height. This rose appears to root very readily, one of the few here in my coastal valley climate (like 'Sheer Bliss') whose cuttings retain all the original leaves in good health while rooting. In terms of flowering it is the most productive in its section of 'Rosa Californica' hybrids. I put one in the ground in late June, it is now in late October about 4.5' tall x 4' wide and just hitting its stride as a bloomer.
Has anyone grown Sweet Intoxication rose yet, so that you can comment about its disease resistance, bloom frequency, vigor, and/or heat tolerance? I see it for sale at my local OSH store, and I'm interested, but I hesitate to buy a rose without hearing/reading comments from someone who has grown it.
The HMF fragrance description says "clover fragrance". Is that a misprint, and did it mean clove fragrance? Or is it actually clover fragrance?
Sorry it's been such a long time since this question was posted. I grow this rose in Southeast Texas and it's done well for me. Disease resistance has been pretty good so far this year, but I can't speak to heat tolerance yet. The fragrance is strong and citrusy to my nose. I still have it in a pot and it has bloomed several times, but no big candelabras yet. It tends to spread more than grow upright, though that might change once I put it in the ground. Overall, it's one of my favorites!
Without - I don't spray. It did have some BS last fall when I first got it, but none yet this spring, and I had it fairly close to a few other bushes that did have BS rather badly.
Edit 18 MAR 16: I no longer have this rose, but wanted to add that it was only a first-year own-root plant when I posted above, which would probably account for the spreading.
Quote from littletxyard: "It tends to spread more than grow upright". I'm surprised to hear you say that, because I seem to recall reading somewhere that this one tends to grow in a taller, more narrow shape. Can anyone else comment on the size and shape of the bush, from your experience?
Just found this forum while searching for info on Sweet Intoxication Rose. To answer your question, it has a strong perfume fragrance of clove and floral mixed in. Heady and sweet and lovely to look at!
Would love to know of anyone's experience with it. Mine is in part clay soil and after a longer, wetter winter, it lost all leaves and is just now coming back a little. It is deciduous and I'm guessing the late spring delayed the blooms...(?). Will try an organic fertilizer now and observe.
Fabulous rose! Huge non-stop candelabras of strongly scented dark violet (quite unique) to med lavender flowers (blah). No disease in LA. A floribunda that performs like it's name and category would suggest. I barely fed mine and its sending up two huge flower covered basilar canes in late October! Have 2 friends who love this one too.
