I was reading the references for Milkmaid and found this:
"Australian Rose Annual (1999) Page 27:
Sophie Adamson, Moorooduc,. Victoria: Milkmaid has very different attributes. It needs care in its planting since it is very vigorous and thorny."
On the other hand, there's the post by hmfusr below, which says: "I got it for my mother, as a gift to cover a shed, where something of moderate size, very fragrant and as near as possible to prickle-free was needed."
So my question is: does the Milkmaid in commerce in Australia have lots of thorns, or is it almost completely free of them, or is it somewhere in between depending on what mood it is in?
I got this rose today in the USA. It was worth the quarantine time. I also got Queen of Hearts. Great to have more Clark roses. They had been impossible to get! Regards, Andrew Grover
[Transferring posts from incorrect file to the correct 'Milkmaid' file]
Initial post 30 JUN byhmfusr According to Mistydowns, the plant attains 4m height x 2m w. http://mistydowns.com.au/plant_display/display/797-milkmaid
Reply #1 of 2 posted 1 JUL by [HMF supporting member] Patricia Routley Thank you hmfusr. The size varies from reference to reference. We have altered the size to cover all. In this garden it roots down and one plant nearly covered the whole of this garden bed a couple of years ago.
Reply #2 of 2 posted 2 JUL byhmfusr my mother had better look out : D not stand around too long in its vicinity lest she get engulfed by it
