Lady Emma Hamilton rose

£24.50

7.7

Fragrance Strength

10.0/10

Repeat Flowering

8.0/10

Bloom Size

7.0/10

Vigor

7.0/10

Suitable for containers

10.0/10

Tolerance of shade

6.0/10

Disease resistance

7.0/10

Tolerance of poor soil

5.0/10

Few thorns

8.0/10

Best for cuttings

9.0/10

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

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

Photo credit: The Right Roses | RightRoses.com and DavidAustinRoses.com