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

Mary Rose

Rosa 'Mary Rose'

Easy · Beginner friendly

About Mary Rose

Mary Rose is one of David Austin's earliest and most reliable English roses, introduced in 1983, a workhorse of the modern old-rose revival. Producing loose rich pink cupped blooms with a pleasant honey-almond fragrance on a vigorous 4 foot shrub, it blooms continuously from late spring through fall and is exceptionally disease-resistant. A foundational Austin rose widely planted in American cottage gardens for decades.

  • Fragrant
  • Disease-resistant
  • 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 Mary Rose

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 Mary Rose — free on iPhoneDownload on the App Store

At a Glance

  • Height4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 m)
  • Spread4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 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

Loose pink cupped blooms with honey-almond scent, deadhead for continuous bloom

Fragrance

MODERATE FRAGRANCE

Honey and almond 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 Mary Rose

Rosa 'Mary Rose' is a warm medium-pink English shrub rose bred by David Austin at Albrighton, England, released in 1983 from a cross between 'Wife of Bath' and 'The Miller'. Austin named the cultivar to mark the raising of the Tudor warship Mary Rose from the seabed off Portsmouth in October 1982, an event of immense archaeological importance to Britain. The loosely cupped blooms open a warm rose-pink with a lighter reverse and a moderate fragrance blending honey, almond, and old-rose notes.

The dense bushy plant reaches 1.2 meters and flowers continuously from late spring to hard frost, with particularly reliable, heavy bloom and good disease resistance, making it one of the most dependable older English Roses for cottage and mixed borders. Two sports, the white 'Winchester Cathedral' and the soft pink 'Redoute', extend the series.

Bred by David Austin and introduced in 1983 to commemorate the raising of the Tudor warship Mary Rose from the seabed of the Solent in 1982. It was one of the foundational roses of Austin's early English-rose lineage and remains a proven performer in American cottage gardens for its reliability and continuous bloom.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

Mary Rose carries historic devotion in soft pink. David Austin named it for the Tudor warship raised from the Solent in 1982, four centuries after Henry VIII watched it sink. Reliable, fragrant, and foundational in the English Rose line, it lets history and horticulture bloom on the same stem.

  • Historic devotion — commemorates Tudor warship raised 1982
  • Reliable grace — foundational Austin workhorse rose

Where the Name Comes From

Named for the Mary Rose, Tudor warship of Henry VIII sunk in 1545 and spectacularly raised from the Solent seabed in 1982.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Old rose perfume on rich pink David Austin English-rose blooms
  • Cup-shaped fragrant blooms cherished for cottage arrangements
  • Repeat-blooming English shrub rose with classic old-rose form

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Mary Rose?

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

How much light does Mary Rose need?

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

Is Mary Rose 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 Mary Rose easy to grow?

Yes — it is considered an easy, beginner-friendly plant.

When does Mary Rose bloom?

It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.

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