Rose Dove

Rose of gentle grace and quiet elegance. Among the earliest English Roses to exhibit a Tea Rose character, and ‘Dove’ is a compact, low-growing shrub cherished for its understated beauty and consistent performance in dry climates. Though it was never David Austin’s favorite due to its susceptibility to blackspot, it remains a beloved rose in the right conditions, particularly where the air is dry and disease pressure is low.

FLOWERING

This rose variety has an abundant and continual flowering habit. Blooms in flushes from summer until frosts. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count.

The flower buds have classic pointed Hybrid Tea form. The flowers are medium to large sized, the average diameter of the open flower is 9 cm (3.5 inches) and full.

The flowers are particularly graceful: pointed, pink-tinged buds reminiscent of Hybrid Teas open to soft rosettes, their form somewhere between a camellia and an Old Rose. Flowers are typically white with a delicate blush at the heart, a coloring caused by the pale apricot hue on the reverse of the petals. This ephemeral tint fades as the flowers open, leaving behind almost snowy white petals, which fall cleanly once the bloom fades - often creating a lovely carpet of petals around the base.

The flowers typically borne singly or in small open sprays of up to 7 flower buds together, and deadheading is rarely necessary until all blooms have faded, thanks to the rose’s clean petal drop.

Rose variety ‘Dove’ has medium fragrance, with Tea character and with hints of fresh apple.

PLANT

The rose variety 'Dove' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is low, arching, and spreading. Forms a graceful, spreading shrub with slightly drooping flowering stems that lend the plant a relaxed, naturalistic elegance. Its habit is more horizontal than vertical, often growing wider than it is tall, making it ideal for the front of borders, mass plantings, or as a low hedge. A mature and well-established plant has a height of about 75 - 90 cm (2½ ft - 3 ft) and the width of about 100 - 120 cm (3 ft - 4 ft).

The foliage is medium to dark green, glossy, and pointed, often compared to Musk Rose leaf structure. The compact bush is generally well-foliated and responds well to light pruning to maintain shape.

The compact size of this rose makes it ideal for small gardens, containers, or foundation plantings. It pairs beautifully with soft-colored perennials and other pastel roses in the garden. Consider planting several plants together for a more dramatic, snowdrift-like display of bloom and fallen petals

The rose variety 'Dove' is best suited for dry or low-humidity climates, where disease risk is lower. It may develop blackspot or mildew in damp or humid areas, though this varies by region.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 6 (with reports of success to Zone 5 in sheltered sites) and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Unfortunately we do not have information about the origin of the name of this rose.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausdove’ / 'Dove' originated by David Austin by crossing female parent (seed parent) - English shrub rose ‘Ausbath’ / ‘Wife of Bath’ with the male parent (pollen parent) - an unnamed and unpatented rose seedling of the following origin: [Floribunda rose ‘Schneewittchen’ (‘Iceberg’) x unamed seedling].

USDA 6