Rose The Knight

Very full blooms of 'The Knight' showcase its dark crimson, Old Rose style. The petals reflex slightly, creating a domed, pompon-shaped rosette. When David Austin launched his English Rose collection in 1970, 'The Knight' was among the first varieties offered to the public. This rose was a groundbreaking achievement at the time: a reblooming “Old Rose” in red - fulfilling Austin’s quest to combine the rich perfume and form of old roses with the repeat-flowering of modern hybrids. For this reason, it garnered interest from rose enthusiasts despite its shortcomings.

FLOWERING

The blooms of 'The Knight' are a deep crimson red, carrying the dramatic hue of its Gallica and Bourbon heritage. Each flower is medium-sized, about8 cm ( 3 inches) in diameter and very full, packed with dozens of petals, often as many as 70 - 80. When the buds first open, the petals are a vivid medium-red to cerise; as the bloom ages, it can deepen or take on purple-plum tones, eventually fading to a mauve-crimson hue in fully opened blooms (a trait reminiscent of old Gallica roses). The form is initially somewhat cupped or domed, petals tending to reflex back, giving a rounded “pompon” or rosette shape at full bloom. Despite the many petals, the blooms tend to open flat when fully mature, displaying a plush, old-fashioned look.

One of 'The Knight'’s greatest attributes is its fragrance. The flowers exude a rich, Damask rose scent, meaning they have a strong old-rose perfume with sweet and spicy notes. This heady fragrance is often described as classic and intense, rewarding those who take the time to smell the blooms. In the garden, a cluster of 'The Knight' roses in bloom can perfume the air in its vicinity. The combination of the deep crimson petals and the Damask fragrance truly gives this rose an antique charm, despite its modern origin.

The flowers are borne singly or in small clusters, of about 2–3 blooms together. They appear in a spring or in early-summer and, unlike its once-blooming parent 'Chianti', 'The Knight' will rebloom later in the season. However, the repeat is usually modest, often just a lighter second flush in late summer or early fall, rather than continuous flowering. This was still a notable achievement for its time, making it the first red Austin rose to repeat flowering, even though modern English Roses have since far surpassed this bloom frequency. Gardeners growing 'The Knight' should deadhead the spent blooms to encourage its re-blooming and to keep the bush tidy.

PLANT

Rose variety ‘The Knight’ is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. Over time, it was replaced by better crimson English Roses, for example, ‘The Squire’ was widely praised as a superior crimson rose and became a parent to even more robust reds like ‘L.D. Braithwaite’ and ‘Othello’. These later introductions had stronger growth, improved rebloom and disease resistance, essentially rendering 'The Knight' obsolete for mainstream gardening. Today, 'The Knight' is hard to find in commerce. It is listed as “discontinued” and generally unavailable except through a few specialty nurseries or rose preservation societies.

The plant itself forms a compact shrub with a somewhat spreading, bushy habit. It is generally short in stature, reaching about 60 - 90 cm (2 to 3 feet) tall and roughly 60 cm (2 feet) wide in cultivation. Early on, growth can be slow and a bit weak, so young plants may remain low and sparse for a time before eventually filling out. With age and good care, it can become a fuller small shrub, but it never achieves the robust stature of some later English Roses. The canes are slender to medium thickness and bear many thorns, notably triangular, red-tinged prickles on new growth. These thorns can make the plant appear armed to defend its regal crimson blooms, much like a “knight” in armor.

The foliage is typical of early English Roses, with large, oval leaflets that have a matte to semi-gloss finish. New leaves and shoots often emerge with a bronze or reddish tint before maturing to a deep green. The combination of bronzy new growth and dark crimson blooms can be quite attractive. Leaves are arranged in the pinnate fashion and provide a moderately dense cover on the bush. The overall look of the plant is short, with dense leaves and old-fashioned blooms, giving an impression reminiscent of old Gallica or Damask rose bushes, albeit on a smaller scale.

'The Knight' is known to be a somewhat delicate cultivar, especially when compared to modern David Austin roses. It often requires a bit of extra care and attention to thrive. Ensure consistent moisture, especially in the hotter months as 'The Knight' does not respond well to drought or neglect. Deep weekly watering (more often in heat) will keep the plant vigorous. Avoid wetting the foliage if possible, to minimize fungal issues. In winter or early spring, prune the plant lightly to shape it and remove any dead or diseased wood. Since it’s not a very vigorous rose, avoid hard pruning. Instead, focus on cutting back just the top third of growth and thin out any spindly or crossing canes.

Unfortunately, 'The Knight' is somewhat prone to fungal diseases. In humid or mild coastal climates it can suffer from powdery mildew on the leaves and sometimes rust on the undersides. Good garden hygiene - cleaning up fallen leaves and ensuring good air circulation around the plant can help. Preventative sprays like a neem oil or a baking soda solution might be used if mildew is a serious problem in the area. Choosing a planting site with morning sun exposure will help dry dew off the leaves and reduce mildew incidence.

In terms of winter hardiness, 'The Knight' tolerates cold down to about climate zones similar to USDA Zone 6b. In warm climates, it may attain a bit more height and will appreciate some afternoon shade to protect its dark blooms from scorching. In cooler climates, it stays at the lower end of its size range and benefits from a sheltered spot and winter protection around the base.

Its name fits well with the medieval theme of Austin’s early roses: in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the Knight is portrayed as a paragon of chivalry and honor. By naming the rose 'The Knight', Austin likely intended to evoke a sense of romance, gallantry, and classic tradition, in line with the rose’s Old Rose fragrance and appearance.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

David Austin developed 'The Knight' during his early experiments to create an Old Rose-style crimson shrub that would bloom more than once Its seed parent ‘Chianti’ (1967) was a gorgeously fragrant but once-blooming deep red rose bred from a Floribunda and a Gallica. Austin crossed ‘Chianti’ with other modern roses but found the seedlings weak and still not remontant. He then turned to the vigorous old Bourbon rose ‘Gipsy Boy’ (1909) as a pollen parent. To Austin’s surprise, the first-generation offspring from ‘Chianti’ × ‘Gipsy Boy’ produced some repeat-blooming seedlings. The best of these was selected and named 'The Knight', introduced in 1969 as the first reblooming red English Rose. Austin noted that while 'The Knight' bore “flowers of a magnificent crimson”, its growth was disappointingly weak. He hoped to improve vigor in subsequent generations, and indeed a follow-up cross of 'The Knight' with an old Hybrid Tea ('Château de Clos Vougeot') yielded the stronger variety ‘The Squire’ (1976). 'The Knight' thus served as a stepping stone in breeding, contributing its rich color and fragrance to later English Roses.

USDA 6