Name of Rose: The Pilgrim

Class: Shrub (David Austin Rose)

Registration Name: AUSwalker

Hybridizer: David Austin

Date of Introduction: 1987

‘The Pilgrim’ rose hybridized by David Austin and introduced in 1987 is not named after the pilgrims in Massachusetts but the pilgrim in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Parentage is ‘Graham Thomas’ x ‘Yellow Button’. It grows 4 ft tall x 5 ft wide and up to 10 ft as a climber. Its perfectly formed blooms are quite large, shallowly cupped, rosette-shaped and up to 170 petals. The beautiful yellow color pales towards the edges of the blooms, giving a charming softness that is rare among yellow roses. The soft green foliage complements the soft yellow blooms. It has a delicious medium to strong Tea and myrrh fragrance. The bush is quite healthy and repeats very well.

In warmer areas, it is a good idea to do summer pruning to keep the plant upright and bushy. It is superb as a climber, one of the best English Rose climbers. It will quickly reach some height and still produce flowers and leaves lower down on the plant which is rare among climbers.

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