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Family: Rosaceae (ro-ZAY-see-ee) (Info) Genus: Rosa (RO-zuh) (Info) Cultivar: Don Juan Additional cultivar information: (PP1864) Hybridized by Malandrone; Year of Registration or Introduction: 1958
Hardiness: USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
Bloom Color: Dark red (dr)
Bloom Shape: Semi-double
Flower Fragrance: Very Fragrant
Bloom Time: Late Spring/Early Summer Blooms repeatedly
Habit: Trained to climb
Patent Information: Non-patented
Other Details: Susceptible to black spot Stems are moderately thorny
Pruning Instructions: Blooms on new wood; prune early to promote new growth
Soil pH requirements: 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
Propagation Methods: From softwood cuttings From semi-hardwood cuttings From hardwood cuttings By grafting By budding
My Don Juan is planted in front of our picture window in the front of our house. Not knowing how well the plant would grow we planted two of them side by side about three feet between them. To our surprise both plants took off, it double in size within the first year, we live in Zone 8-9 12 miles from Austin TX. The rose bush has now grown up to the second story of our home and going strong. We could not be more pleased, the beauty and the fragrance is amazing!
On Aug 17, 2009, miaroxc from San Rafael, CA wrote:
I am having a hard time getting flowers from this rose after the first in spring. It seems that there are very few 5 leaflets. Mostly 7 and some 9. Any suggestions?
On Sep 25, 2008, kdaustin from Austin, TX (Zone 8b) wrote:
Still quite possibly the best climbing red rose. Luscious red velvet flowers, wonderful fragrance, extremely healthy plant. Does occasionally get some mildew, but "shakes it off" normally. Wonderful first rose for the nervous new rose person, as long as it gets 8 hours of sun and half decent soil it will perform. I grow this on my back fence along with Lady Banks and Climbing Old Blush, this one outperforms the Climbing Old Blush, and blooms longer and is far more manageable than Lady Banks, though I love Lady Banks. Good rose for smaller areas too, very manageable size for a climber.
On Jun 13, 2008, goofybulb from El Paso, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:
In a pot outside, and regular watering, this is a very rewarding rose to have in Miami. Beautifully shaped blooms, the flowers last longer than other roses that I have, and the scent is wonderful. Also, it seems more resistant to black spot (at least mine was) than other roses that I've tried.
On May 31, 2008, bungalow1056 from Winston Salem, NC wrote:
This is a fantastic rose. The color is a true, deep, velvety red. New growth is also tinged red. I am training mine as a pillar. It has a distinct upright growth habit. One new cane that emerged this April has reached 7 feet tall in 7 weeks. That's a foot a week! The scent on this one is amazing, a little fruity/citrus, a little spicy with a heaping dose of classic tea. It smells just like a deep red rose should.
On Apr 21, 2008, Forensicmom from Millersville, MD wrote:
This was planted last spring and performed wonderfully. However the voles decided to have it for dessert. The roots were TOTALLY eaten. I thought it was dead so I pushed it back in the ground, added some rootgrow and left it along ALL winter. To my surprise, it grew back and has tripled in size. It's now totally covered in buds and full of that beautiful dark purple new growth.
On Mar 17, 2008, marsue from Cabot, AR (Zone 7b) wrote:
Don Juan is a beautiful dark red large-blossomed rose. We planted two of these climbers in the spring of 2007 and they doubled their size in just 6 months. Although other comments indicate that Don Juan is very fragrant, mine was only slightly fragrant. Perhaps the fragrance will be heavier the second year of growth. Also, my Don Juan has very large, sharp thorns on it. However, I love this rose in spite of the thorns!
On Jul 1, 2006, shellabella from West Central, FL (Zone 9b) wrote:
I love this climber. The blooms are a brilliant red and it has given me no problems with black spot or anything else. My Don Juan is on Fortuniana rootstock which I understand is a very good rootstock for successful Roses in Florida.
On May 29, 2006, jamie68 from Vancouver, WA (Zone 8b) wrote:
I find this rose more prone to blackspot than almost any other that I grow....but when in bloom....and when he hangs on to his leaves....he is a pretty sight!
This is known as the must-have rose for my area. When I decided to start growing roses, this is the one that EVERYBODY recommended first. Its climbing manner and large flowers put on quite a show--it looks like it's trying to show off and be fancier than my other roses. It requires little attention other than dead-heading. Though it can get spells of blackspot (nearly all roses do, in our humid climate), that doesn't seem to slow it down.
On Jun 1, 2005, hpoplin from Wellston, OK (Zone 7a) wrote:
My favorite rose, never seems to stop growing. Don't have any problems with thorns on the stems, make beautiful cut flowers usually with sem-long stems. The smell is great, although not strong.
Only issue, the grasshoppers and aphids seem to love the flowers more than I do. Have to use insecticide to keep them away, and as much as it grows, it seems to be a constant job keeping the insects off the buds.
On Sep 20, 2004, ladyannne from Merced, CA (Zone 9a) wrote:
Vigorous grower, displays the most brilliant deep velvety red fragrant flowers. I can always count on a bloom for a bouquet. Introduced in 1958, disease resistant.
On Apr 18, 2004, yayaqueen from Harker Heights, TX wrote:
Don Juan was the very first rose (the patriarch) planted in my garden...3 years now he's been living happily couched in the corner of the backyard in full sun. We're in zone 8 in central TX. Mine is a climber and the only pruning I've done is to remove dead limbs. I do not prune my climbers and my research shows that you shouldn't except to keep them in bounds and remove dead tissue. Don Juan has exploded in huge, 5-inch, deep red flowers--the most fragrant in my garden. I have 86 roses now...adopted in the past 3 years since the bug bit me! If they don't have fragrance, I don't want them. Don Juan more than earns his place in my garden...I have a total of 5 now...all climbers. I would not have a garden without him. Everyone needs at least one.
On May 30, 2003, patp from Summerville, SC (Zone 8a) wrote:
Our Don Juan climbing rose is red, very fragrant and quite beautiful. This is its second year growing in full sun on a wire fence in Summerville, SC (USDA Hardiness Zone 8).
On May 28, 2003, Eirlys from Hamilton, ON (Zone 5b) wrote:
I have had great success with growing a climbing rose named Don Juan, in Hamilton, Ontario. However, the only rose of this name that I have ever seen or read about is a beautiful red colour. This rose had a lovely scent and grew prolifically its first year. I had it growing against a wire fence in a southeast-facing garden. For the following two years, it again grew well, doubling its reach. Vesey's catalogue describes it: "Stronly fragrant, this velvety dark red, double cupped rose (35 petals), is high centred to flat with 4 inch blooms. Growing up to a height of 12 feet, the repeat bloomer features dark, glossy, leathery foliage."
Regional...
This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
, Huntsville, Alabama Mesa, Arizona Scottsdale, Arizona Cabot, Arkansas Malvern, Arkansas La Jolla, California Perris, California San Diego, California Sebastopol, California Brooksville, Florida Clearwater, Florida Deltona, Florida Fernandina Beach, Florida Maitland, Florida Miami, Florida Panama City, Florida Tallahassee, Florida Wauchula, Florida Marietta, Georgia Cobden, Illinois Evansville, Indiana Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2 reports) Mandeville, Louisiana Millersville, Maryland Silver Spring, Maryland Redford, Michigan Bay Springs, Mississippi Kansas City, Missouri Saint Louis, Missouri Amityville, New York Honeoye Falls, New York Rocky Mount, North Carolina Ashland, Ohio Edmond, Oklahoma Wellston, Oklahoma Baker City, Oregon Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Warminster, Pennsylvania Columbia, South Carolina Prosperity, South Carolina Summerville, South Carolina Chattanooga, Tennessee Hixson, Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee Lafayette, Tennessee Maryville, Tennessee Austin, Texas Broaddus, Texas Buda, Texas Dallas, Texas Elgin, Texas Harker Heights, Texas Houston, Texas (2 reports) League City, Texas New Braunfels, Texas Willis, Texas Mckenney, Virginia Mclean, Virginia Pearisburg, Virginia Richmond, Virginia Sterling, Virginia Winchester, Virginia Vancouver, Washington