Rose Dapple Dawn

Stands out among English Roses for its elegant simplicity. As a single-flowered sport of the vibrant ‘Red Coat’, it trades in the bright scarlet for a soft, painterly palette of blushed pink petals veined with deeper pink, often fading toward a near-white center. The reverse of the petals shows a silvery sheen, while the base of each petal is subtly warmed by a creamy yellow flush, drawing the eye inward to bright golden stamens that flutter like sunbeams.

FLOWERING

Rounded scarlet buds open to wide, single blossoms of misty blush-pink finely veined with deeper rose. A translucent silver-pink reverse and a creamy wash at the petal bases draw the eye to a starburst of long, golden stamens that attract pollinators. The satiny petals, just five to seven per flower, are so thin they catch the light “like gossamer wings”, giving the whole shrub a fluttering, like a cloud of pink butterflies resting momentarily over the bush. Colours soften with age but never lose their delicate marbling, ensuring the bush is attractive in every stage of bloom.

The flowers of the rose variety ‘Dapple Dawn’ are large, reaching to about 10 - 12.5 cm (4 to 5 inches) in diameter, with a soft, open shape. Repeat blooming is excellent, and with minimal deadheading, the plant remains in flower most of the season. Blooms in flushes with short breaks from summer until frosts. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count. The fragrance of the flowers is light, with subtle musk notes.

Flowers are held well above the foliage in airy clusters of 5–15, so the plant often looks lightly dusted with pink confetti. If hips are allowed to develop in autumn they deepen to orange-red, adding a second season of interest. ‘Dapple Dawn’ achieves a remarkable presence despite its delicate structure.

PLANT

The rose variety 'Dapple Dawn' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is vigorous, spreading, and upright. This rose forms a graceful, informal shrub, often growing wider than tall, with a light, airy framework that allows blooms to float elegantly above the foliage. Though it reaches up to 180 cm (6 feet) tall in warm regions, its naturally spreading shape makes it ideal for mass plantings, informal borders, hedges, or even as a focal shrub near entrances or in corners. A mature and well-established plant has a height of about 120 - 180 cm (4’ - 6’) and the width of about 180 - 250 cm (6’ - 8’).

Best when given ample space to show off its open habit and airy floral sprays. Suitable for cottage gardens, wildlife-friendly gardens (attracts bees), and naturalistic borders, excellent for loose hedges and informal designs. It is less ornate than other very full Davi Austin’s varieties, but no less enchanting. With its fluttering pink petals, gentle fragrance, and exceptional repeat bloom, this rose offers a natural, effortless grace. For lovers of single blooms and light-filled garden design, ‘Dapple Dawn’ is both a poetic and practical choice.

New foliage emerges with red-tinged edges and matures into healthy mid-green leaves. The canes are robust, with bronzy tint when young, later turning medium-green, and lightly armed with prickles.

Requires light annual pruning to maintain shape and stimulate bloom. Deadhead through summer for continuous blooms; stop in early fall to encourage hip formation. The disease resistance is generally good, though light susceptibility to blackspot may appear in humid conditions.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 6 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named after ‘Dapple Dawn’, the dawn-lit imagery in Gerard Manley Hopkins’ sonnet The Windhover.

English Shrub Roses

Modern Shrub Rose, Baton Rouge Rose Society Show, 1998.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Dapple Dawn' originated by David Austin as a single-flowered sport of the other English shrub rose ’Auscoat’ / ‘Red Coat’.

USDA 6