Rose Lilian Austin

‘Lilian Austin’ stands out among English Roses for its modern, exuberant bloom style and relaxed growth habit, making it an excellent choice for informal garden borders and romantic landscaping. Introduced in 1973 and named in honor of David Austin’s mother, this variety has played a pivotal role in the development of the English Rose lineage, contributing both genetics and aesthetic appeal to many future introductions. Although it lacks the traditional “Old Rose” character associated with many English Roses, ‘Lilian Austin’ compensates with vivid coloring, robust performance, and garden versatility.

FLOWERING

This rose variety has a recurrent flowering habit. This variety reblooms reliably and abundantly, offering a continuous show of color from late spring to fall. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count.

The blooms of ‘Lilian Austin’ are large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 9 cm (3.5 inches). The flowers are semi-double to nearly double, with a soft, open, peony-like form. Petals are lightly waved and ruffled, sometimes giving the blooms a delightfully relaxed and slightly untidy appearance. They appear in small clusters of 3 to 11 flowers together and produced continually throughout the season, offering a long-lasting floral display.

The pointed buds open a rich tomato-red, creating a glowing effect in mass plantings or morning light. The coloration of the flowers is especially charming, upon opening salmon-pink petals with undertones of orange, apricot, and yellow, blending outward from a golden-yellow center adorned with prominent yellow stamens. As the blooms mature, the yellow tones fade, leaving behind soft pink and peach tones. The flowers tend to open quickly and fade slowly.

The scent of ‘Lilian Austin’ is medium to strong, with a sweet, fruity character, sometimes described as reminiscent of citrus and ripe stone fruits. While not overpowering, the fragrance is persistent enough to be noticeable when planted near walkways or seating areas.

PLANT

‘Lilian Austin’ is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The plant forms a low, broad, and arching shrub rose growth habit with graceful, lax canes, making it ideal for the front of borders or planting along garden paths, where its spreading habit can soften hard edges. A mature and well-established plant has a height of about 100 - 125 cm (~3.3’ - 4’t) in height and about 125 - 150 cm (4’ - 5’) in width.

There is a normal quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose variety. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is usually 5, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized, dark green, glossy, and typically free of disease, with new growth tinged in red and canes adorned with fine red-green prickles.

Self-pegging or gentle training may help control the spread and encourage upward growth, especially in more formal plantings. Despite its relaxed form, ‘Lilian Austin’ is rarely unruly and thrives in groupings, where it creates a dense, blooming hedge of color and fragrance. Its spreading form, color-shifting blooms, and easy care make it ideal for cottage-style borders, low hedging, or spilling gently over pathways.

Though less “classic” in form than other English Roses, ‘Lilian Austin’ is charmingly modern in its garden role, offering warmth, energy, and a consistently cheerful presence from spring to frost. Its floriferous nature, combined with its healthy foliage and compact stature, makes it a low-maintenance favorite for both novice and experienced gardeners. In terms of maintenance it requires minimal deadheading needed for continuous bloom. This rose also performs well in both cool and warm climates

The rose variety ‘Lilian Austin’ has good resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to mildew, blackspot and rust under normal growing conditions. Although in wet and colder climates this rose may show susceptibility to blackspot. The pest resistance has not been tested.

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

David Austin named this rose after his mother Lilian Austin.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausli’ / ‘Lilian Austin’ originated by David Austin by crossing female parent (seed parent) - Climbing rose ‘Aloha’ with the male parent (pollen parent) - English shrub rose ‘Ausyeo’ / ‘The Yeoman’.

USDA 6