A cloeup of the antique rose "Crimson Glory" in my front bed
When we bought our house it was almost devoid of ornamental plantings. The previous owner must not have been much of a gardener. However, he did leave behind a truly remarkable and beautiful rose called Climbing Crimson Glory.
A couple of months ago I did an article for Texas Gardener about how drought resistant antique roses have proven to be. As you will see in the attached pictures, Crimson Glory is a testament to their durability. Not only did this rose survive last year’s drought, it has produced more flowers this year than ever before. AND … it did all of this in spite of the fact that I had just dug it up and moved it in March of last year. Now that is durable!
Crimson Glory is not a true climber. It is what some call a “mannerly climber”. It has fairly thick canes that can be 12’ to 15’ long. Instead of wrapping around an arbor, this rose is best tied along the top of a fence. And that is exactly why I moved it. It had been in front of our porch for about ten years. However, last spring, I built a picket fence. I knew this rose would be the perfect choice to put in front of the new white fence. As you can see, it loves its new location and does not seem to mind that I ripped it out a place that it was pretty happy in.
The deep red color and lemon-y scent makes Crimson Glory my favorite rose in my garden
According to Mike Shoup (owner of The Antique Rose Emporium), both Crimson Glory and Climbing Crimson Glory are a great choice for anyone that wants a rose that “looks and smells like a rose is supposed to”. With its deep red, velvety petals and bright yellow stamens, Climbing Glory will be a stand out in any garden. Plus it’s beautiful, lemony scent makes it the perfect addition to those romantic, hand cut bouquets that can only come from a home garden.
Don't the deep red flowers look levely against the white picket fence?
If you have avoided roses in the past because they require so much pruning and spraying, give antique varieties a try. These roses require less maintenance and trimming than modern hybrids. They thrive in full sun and can with stand the worst drought in Texas history. All they ask from you is about an inch of water per week and two good mulching a year with a high quality, finished compost. Give them a try and I am certain you will be as impressed with their performance as this old gardener!
Does this rose have a little dab of white inside? I have been trying to
identify a rose I have that looks so like this one, but it does have a bit
of white, inside when it has bloomed out. Thank you. B White
Crimson glory is all red with yellow stamens in the center. Email me a picture of the rose, the foliage and a description of its growth habit (climber, bush) and i will be happy to try and help you get it identified.
I have a summer home where I will be spending more time since I have retired. We have removed a lot of overgrown bushes and now have a lot more room for bushes. I am planning to plant a number of roses. My father was an amazing gardener. We always joked that the plants would not dare not grow for him. His roses were outstanding. My favorites of all the roses were the Peace rose and the Crimson Glory. These will be the first I plant and I hope they will be close to my father’s. They were truly outstanding. The fragrance of the Crimson Glory is such an added treat.
What a lovely story. Thanks for sharing. While I love growing things, I really think that the way the garden connects me to the gardeners of the past is the reason I keep doing it. Best of luck with the roses!
Where can the Climbing Crimson Glory be purchased? The Antique Rose Emporium appears to be sold out.
There is an English company called David Austin Roses that almost always has them. You just have to deal with shipping. I am not sure where you live but if you are in the central Texas area I would call around to the bigger nurseries. Almost all of them stock roses from the ARE. If you let me know where you live I can more easily find you a source.
I have just bought this rose and am very excited as it is simply gorgeous. I live in New Zealand and my summers are pretty hot so I’m pleased to read your blog re its ability to withstand heat and drought. Thanks for the write up.
Best of luck with the rose. It really is a tough and beautiful rose. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Jay, my Mum gave me this rose for Christmas so I’ve been Googling to find out more about it and came across this page. Mum has a beautiful very fragrant deep red climbing rose on a shed which I have always loved and because Mum wasn’t sure exactly what it was took some flowers to a local rose grower who said could be Mr Lincoln, Blackboy or Crimson Glory and sold her Crimson Glory. It definitely sounds perfect. I live in Adelaide South Australia and we have really hot summers and where I am in Adelaide Hills winters can be very wet but not freezing. Good to know this rose will tolerate the heat. I plan to plant on a trellis attached to my verandah which will get afternoon sun. Also good to know it’s a “mannerly climber” I have an Albertine on a rose arch and I have nicknamed her “Triffid” because she is always trying to take over the house 🙂 Can’t wait for my first Crimson Glory flowers.
So glad you enjoyed the post. My wife and I have several varieties but Crimson Glory is our favorite. Not only is lovely it has such a nice “rose” scent. Best of luck! I am certain you are going to love this rose
I notice these posts are dated 4/2012.
I cant seem to find a supplier that carries this rose; Crimson Glory. My mother had one for many years. We cherished that rose. Everyone says they are out of stock. Can you suggest somewhere close to North Carolina? Cc
I know the Antique Rose Emporium here in Texas ships. I also think Petals from the Past will ship. They are in Northern Alabama and there phone number is 205-646-0069. Hope this helps
Where can a person purchase Climbing Crimson Glory ?
Hard to find.
I would check with the Antique Rose Emporium or Petals From the Past