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

Munstead Wood

Rosa 'Munstead Wood'

Medium · Some experience

About Munstead Wood

Munstead Wood is one of David Austin's darkest and most romantic English roses, introduced in 2007, producing fully-double velvety crimson blooms deepening to burgundy-black as they age with a powerful old-rose fragrance with notes of blackberry and damson. Growing 3 to 4 feet in a bushy rounded form, it blooms heavily from late spring through fall. A showstopper dark red rose for American cottage 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 Munstead Wood

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 Munstead Wood — free on iPhoneDownload on the App Store

At a Glance

  • Height2–3 ft (0.6–0.9 m)
  • Spread2–3 ft (0.6–0.9 m)
  • Flower colorRed, Burgundy
  • 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

Velvet crimson aging to burgundy with powerful old-rose fragrance, deadhead for repeat

Fragrance

STRONG FRAGRANCE

Warm blackberry, damson, and blueberry old-rose fragrance.

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 Munstead Wood

Rosa 'Munstead Wood' is a deep velvety crimson English shrub rose bred by David Austin at Albrighton, England, released in 2007 from proprietary parentage. Austin named the cultivar for Munstead Wood, Gertrude Jekyll's own garden in Surrey designed in partnership with architect Edwin Lutyens, and Jekyll's garden spirit pervades the rose: opening crimson and deepening to a near-black-velvet dark red with subtle burgundy undertones as flowers age, held in deeply cupped rosette form. A strong warm blackberry-and-damson fragrance with blueberry hints complements the color.

The compact bushy plant reaches only 90 centimeters, making 'Munstead Wood' one of the smallest Austin roses and a favorite for small gardens and containers. It won the Royal National Rose Society's James Mason Gold Medal in 2011 and the American Rose Society's James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Medal in 2016.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

Rosa Munstead Wood embodies deep romance, its darkest velvet crimson blooms among the most saturated reds in the David Austin range. Its name carries Jekyll heritage, honoring designer Gertrude Jekyll's beloved Surrey home and the gardens it shaped there. It is often read as a flower of literary devotion, a rose whose meaning is the densely scented red of an English summer evening, tied to a particular cottage and the woman who taught a country how to plant a border.

  • Deep romance — darkest velvet crimson blooms
  • Jekyll heritage — honors designer's beloved Surrey home

Where the Name Comes From

Named for Munstead Wood, the Surrey home and garden of Gertrude Jekyll, designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1897.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Powerful old-rose scent with blackberry and damson notes
  • Velvety crimson English rose blooms for bouquets
  • Bushy shrub for romantic cottage and mixed borders

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Munstead Wood?

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

How much light does Munstead Wood need?

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

Is Munstead Wood 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 Munstead Wood easy to grow?

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

When does Munstead Wood bloom?

It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.

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