Lady Emma Hamilton Rose Review | David Austin 2005
Lady Emma Hamilton rose
£24.50
Pros
- Exceptionally fragrant
- Attractive shrub
- Very floriferous
- Best alternative for front of the border
Cons
- Only "good" (not "excellent") disease resistance
- Her color can fade in extreme heat
LADY EMMA HAMILTON ROSE REVIEW | THE RIGHT ROSES
‘Ausbrother’
English Shrub Rose bred by David Austin
David Austin
Dark red buds with dashes of orange, open to chalice-shaped blooms of rich tangerine orange, with yellow-orange on the outside of the petals. They are held against very dark, bronzy green, polished leaves that slowly become dark green with age. The flowers have a strong, delicious, fruity fragrance with hints of pear, grape and citrus fruits. The growth is fairly upright but quite broad and bushy. David Austin, 2005.
The Right Roses: RightRoses.com
David Austin introduced Lady Emma Hamilton for the UK in 2005. He named this rose after the beautiful mistress of Lord Nelson to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.
Lady Emma Hamilton rose is one of the best David Austin roses. She certainly is the best rose for the front of the border.
“She certainly is the best rose in the front of the border.”
The Right Roses | RightRoses.com
Lady Emma Hamilton rose: The pros
- Royal Horticultural Society Garden of Merit Award
We consider Lady Emma Hamilton as one of the best David Austin roses so far, for three reasons.
First, Lady Emma Hamilton is exceptionally fragrant. She produced an extremely tasty and powerful fruity citrus. Many said she smells just like ripe tangerine. And, I absolutely agree with them. If fragrance strength is one of the first traits you would love to see in a new rose, then Lady Emma Hamilton must be the right rose for you. You should plant her just front of the border so that you can enjoy her strikingly beautiful fragrance at every opportunity. To make it even clearer to you about the striking fragrance of Lady Emma Hamilton, she was Winner of the first prize for fragrance in the Prix International at the Nantes trials in France.
Second, her shrub form is the second attractive trait which makes Lady Emma Hamilton the best rose for front of the border. She is a relatively vigorous grower. In the first year (as a potted rose), she could get to about 2ft tall. However, she is also a very mannerly in her growth in the long run. In the UK, she would not become a giant in your garden. David Austin suggests that she will make a 3ft x 3ft shrub. However, in warmer climate, she can be bigger. She has an interesting growth habit. In fact, she is wider than tall. In the first step, she goes wide. Then, next, she produces vertical canes. With this growth habit, she is certainly a great choice for planting in containers and pots.
Lady Emma Hamilton produces lovely reddish, bronze foliage. As it ages, the foliage becomes dark green. Her foliage is matte, not glossy as some other David Austin varieties such as Carolyn Knight (2013) or The Mill On The Floss (2018).
Third, Lady Emma Hamilton is a very floriferous Austin rose. In the first year in your garden, she does just “alright” with flower buds here and there. If you talk about the first-year performance, Royal Jubilee (2012) or The Ancient Mariner (2015) could do better. However, she vastly improves over time. She is absolutely a non-stop bloomer in your garden.
Lady Emma Hamilton rose: The cons
Lady Emma Hamilton can be susceptible to back spot and mildew. David Austin ranked her as only “good” (not excellent) disease resistance.
In addition, in extreme heat (for example, in hot California weather), her color can fade a little bit. However, this problem will not happen in other areas such as the UK or Europe.
Lady Emma Hamilton rose: The similarities
Lady Emma Hamilton resembles two other David Austin varieties. First, it is Pat Austin with the similar shade of orange or copper. However, Pat Austin can make a bigger shrub (4ft x 3.5 ft vs 3ft x 3 ft). In addition, Pat Austin blooms nod more than Lady Emma Hamilton and also bigger. Importantly, Lady Emma Hamilton can tolerate heat better than Pat Austin.
Second, Lady Emma Hamilton, to some degree in terms of color, can look similar to Lady of Shalott (2009). However, they are very different in terms of growth habit. Lady Emma Hamilton will remain an attractive, little shrub in your garden. However, Lady of Shalott (2009) is just absolutely a giant with octopus canes all around the shrub. Lady of Shalott (2009) produces only a medium fragrance, while the scent of Lady Emma Hamilton is strong. However, you can plant Lady of Shalott (2009) in a shady spot, whereas Lady Emma Hamilton requires full sunlight.
Lady Emma Hamilton rose: The details
| Height & Spread: 3ft x 3ft | Color: Tangerine-orange | Fragrance: Strong |
| Fragrance notes: Fruity | Flowering: Repeat flowering | Suitable for containers: Yes |
| Sun exposure: Full Sunlight | Bloom size: Medium (3.5’’ or 9 cm) | Disease resistance: Good |
Photo credit: The Right Roses | RightRoses.com and DavidAustinRoses.com
Emma Hamilton rose looks amazing. Do you know whether I can buy it in Australia?
Thank you Sheryl for your question. As far as I know, David Austin has not introduced Lady Emma Hamilton for Australia yet. Please take a look here for the complete David Austin introductions in Australia. https://www.davidaustinrosesaustralia.com/australian/search.asp?
Where can I find some in Louisiana at this time? All out at usual places i know?
Looking to buy in Louisiana. Currently out where I have checked.
Looking to buy in Louisiana.
Dear Kendria,
Thank you for letting us know. She smells heavenly.
And, it is a pity that David Austin ran out of this rose in the US. Normally, you can order roses from David Austin USA. Probably they will have roses again by the end of this year. On the bright side, it is a good thing as well. You now have a lot of time to consider what you will buy when they are available.
And, please tell us how your roses perform for you soon.
https://rightroses.com/my-biggest-surprise-call-stories
Best regards,
The Right roses
I don’t think, DA will have her again. What a pity!! She is so a beautiful rose! And Munstead wood also! Oh my god! I can’t understand it…
Thank you very much for your website. I don’t buy any rose, that she isn’t here. It’s my bible!! Thank you, I’ve bought this year Emily Brontë, Eustacia Vye, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Desdemona, Poet’s Wife, Roald Dahl, Lady Emma Hamilton, Munstead Wood and Gertrude Jekyll and I’m waiting for Lady of Shalott and Olivia. My husband isn’t so happy with you 😂😂
Dear Alicia, Thank you so much for your sweet message! We love roses and gardening, although we have had both positive and quite negative experiences. And, sometimes it is rather frustrating when things do not work out the way we expected. Therefore, we would like to work hard to enhance THE ROSE EXPERIENCE of gardeners worldwide. We are so glad that the website is helpful to you. It saddens our heart enormously to see Munstead Wood and Lady Emma Hamilton being discontinued. They are truly wonderful roses. Let me tell you. There are a few roses on my desk in… Read more »