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Heritage (Rosa 'Heritage'), whole plant
  • Heritage — close-up of leaves and flowers
  • Heritage — seasonal appearance
  • Heritage in a garden setting

Heritage

Rosa 'Heritage'

Medium · Some experience

About Heritage

Heritage is one of David Austin's most beautiful English roses, introduced in 1984, producing perfectly shell-shaped soft pink cupped blooms of exquisite old-rose form with a rich lemony-myrrh fragrance. Growing 4 to 5 feet as a well-branched shrub, it blooms heavily from late spring through fall. Widely regarded as one of the most elegant Austin roses ever bred, it remains a treasured cornerstone of American English-rose gardens.

  • Fragrant
  • Long-blooming
WATER
Regular
Top inch dry
LIGHT
Full sun
6+ hrs direct
HARDY
Hardy to -20°F (-29°C)
USDA hardiness zones 5–9

How to care for Heritage

Watering

  • Springevery 5 days
  • Summerevery 3 days
  • Fallevery 7 days
  • Winterevery 14 days

Soil · Rich & loamy

  • Top dressingBark mulch15%
  • Main mixRich loam + compost 3:170%
  • DrainageGravel15%

Use fully finished compost — fresh compost burns roots.

FERTILIZER

Balanced Feed 14-14-14

An even feed covers all three needs at once, keeping leaves, roots and blooms moving together with nothing pushed out of balance.

N33%P33%K33%
  • Nitrogen · Leaves
  • Phosphorus · Roots + Blooms
  • Potassium · Strength
  • Springevery 30 days
  • Summerevery 30 days
  • Fallevery 45 days
Get watering reminders for Heritage — free on iPhoneDownload on the App Store

At a Glance

  • Height4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 m)
  • Spread3–4 ft (0.9–1.2 m)
  • Flower colorPink
  • Foliage colorGreen
  • SoilLoamy, Well-drained, Rich
  • LocationsYard

Bloom time

BLOOM CYCLE

Peak bloom

May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Shell-pink cupped blooms with lemony myrrh scent, deadhead for repeat

Fragrance

STRONG FRAGRANCE

Strong lemon, honey, and old-rose scent.

Toxicity

Humans Slight

Unknown toxic principle

Slight

  • Stem
  • Contact

EXPOSURE Touching stems.

EFFECT Pricks from thorns.

NOTE Not toxic; thorns cause mechanical injury.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for dogs; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for cats; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

History

Illustrated historical scene for Heritage

Rosa 'Heritage' is a soft shell-pink English shrub rose bred by David Austin at Albrighton, England, released in 1984 from an unnamed seedling crossed with a seedling of 'Iceberg' and 'Wife of Bath'. The rose is widely considered one of the most flawlessly formed English Roses ever bred: the deeply cupped blooms, up to ten centimeters across with forty to fifty petals, open in perfect symmetry to show a soft pure shell-pink deepening slightly toward the centre, and the flowers age gracefully without blowing apart. A strong distinctive fragrance combines lemon, honey, and old-rose notes.

The upright bushy plant reaches 1.5 meters, blooms continuously, and shows good disease resistance. 'Heritage' won the James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Medal in 2004, and remains a signature Austin cultivar in specialty rose gardens worldwide.

Bred by David Austin and introduced in 1984, Heritage was celebrated as one of the most elegant rose forms ever created, winning numerous awards internationally. Its shell-pink cupped blooms and distinctive lemon-myrrh fragrance have made it an iconic heritage rose in American cottage and formal gardens alike.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

heritage Rose makes visible timeless grace, a David Austin English rose that wears modern repeat-blooming health while keeping the soul of an old garden rose. Its distinctive lemony-myrrh perfume sets it apart, an unusual fragrance that feels half ancient apothecary, half summer afternoon. A rose for gardeners who want yesterday's romance with today's reliability.

  • Timeless grace — modern rose with old-rose soul
  • Myrrh fragrance — distinctive lemony-myrrh perfume

Where the Name Comes From

Cultivar name reflects the rose's embodiment of classic old-rose heritage in a modern repeat-blooming form.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Cupped pink blooms release strong lemon-myrrh David Austin perfume
  • Old-rose-form blooms favored in romantic English bouquets
  • Heritage English shrub rose as fragrant border focal plant
  • Repeat-flowering David Austin rose for cottage gardens

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Heritage?

In summer, water about every 3 days; in winter, about every 14 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.

How much light does Heritage need?

Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.

Is Heritage toxic to cats or dogs?

Pets Safe (Dogs Safe · Cats Safe) Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

Is Heritage easy to grow?

It is moderately demanding: a good choice once you have a little experience.

When does Heritage bloom?

It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.

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