By one measure Penny Lane is a very rare hybrid tea rose (judging from its flowers at peak form) that actually grows in my garden on its own roots. This puts it solidly in the top ten percent of HT roses I have attempted in the mountains of Arizona. So it has vigorous roots, it survives dozens of late spring freezes, and it grows well enough in summers with coolish nighttime temperatures. I've observed no fungal infections, and its blossoms, though fragrant, do not seem to be overly affected by thrips. This said, it is not the most vigorous rose in my garden where it grows on poor soil, gets by on meager rations of water, and competes with the damask rose Nouveau Monde. In about four or five growing seasons its one cane has reached chest height. This is a very convenient height for photographing roses, but not a very generous height for a climber.

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