Rose Shropshire Lass

‘Shropshire Lass’ is a distinguished and robust shrub rose introduced by David Austin in 1968 a foundational rose in the development of his English Alba Hybrids. This variety represents an unusual but striking fusion of Hybrid Tea and Old Alba Rose genetics, resulting in a tall, hardy, and shade-tolerant cultivar that evokes the ethereal charm of historic garden roses.

FLOWERING

While it does not repeat flower, its spectacular early summer display of pale, single-petaled blooms and attractive autumn hips offers seasonal drama and lasting ornamental value. These hips persist well into winter, providing wildlife value and decorative appeal in the off-season. Because the blooms drop cleanly when spent, deadheading is not required, allowing the plant to transition naturally into its fruiting phase. For gardeners who appreciate heritage aesthetics and natural form, ‘Shropshire Lass’ remains a classic choice.

The blooms of ‘Shropshire Lass’ are large, measuring around 10–12 cm (4–5 inches) in diameter, and appear almost single, typically with five to seven silky petals. They open from pointed, brownish-pink buds into wide, blush-pink blooms that fade gracefully to pearlescent white, often with a soft touch of yellow at the base. The flowers appear singly or in small clusters of 2 - 5 blooms together.

A prominent cluster of golden stamens forms the heart of each bloom, giving the flowers a luminous, open-faced appearance with strong wild rose character. This simple yet elegant floral form is enhanced by the sweet, medium-strength fragrance, which carries hints of myrrh - a trait inherited from the Alba lineage.

PLANT

The rose variety ‘Shropshire Lass’ is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. This rose forms a large, vigorous shrub or can be trained as a short climber. In cooler regions, it grows to about 200 - 250 cm (8 - 10 feet), while in warm climates and when grown as a climber, it can reach about 400 - 450 cm (13–15 feet) or more, spreading also to about 120 - 175 (4 - 7 feet) in width. Its arching, upright canes are adorned with fine red prickles, and the overall habit is loose, natural, and slightly wild in character.

The foliage is distinctly reminiscent of its Alba heritage, it is blue-green, pointed, and matte, with a resemblance to Rosa canina. This rose variety also has feathery sepals and small, narrow leaflets further contribute to the Old rose charm of the ‘Shropshire Lass’.

This rose excels in open landscapes, woodland edges, and country gardens where its naturalistic growth habit is an asset. It thrives in full sun but also tolerates partial shade better than most modern roses - a gift from its Alba parent. Its strong growth and tolerance for poor soils make it ideal for low-maintenance hedges, screening, or climbing walls and fences.

Because of its vigorous, upright growth, careful placement is important to avoid overcrowding. It is equally striking as a freestanding specimen, trained along a fence, or used to create a romantic partition in the garden. It looks ideally on a tall informal hedge, as a climber, on the back of the border, or as a large specimen shrub.

The rose variety ‘Shropshire Lass’ has good resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to powdery mildew (podosphaera pannosa), downey mildew (peronospora species), blackspot (diplocarpon rosae) and rust (phragmidium tuberculatum) under normal growing conditions. The pest resistance has not been tested yet.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 5 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

As one of David Austin’s first major introductions, ‘Shropshire Lass’ played a pivotal role in establishing the English Alba Hybrid lineage. It reflects Austin’s early vision: combining the grace and resilience of Old Garden Roses with the structural reliability of modern shrub forms.

Although modern tastes have shifted toward repeat-flowering varieties, ‘Shropshire Lass’ remains a connoisseur’s rose, treasured for its historic lineage, dignified presence, and dramatic seasonal impact.

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

English Climbing Rose

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Shropshire Lass' originated by David Austin by crossing female parent (seed parent) a Climbing rose ’Madame Butterfly’’ with the male parent (pollen parent) an Old Alba rose ’Madame Legras de St. Germain’.

USDA 5