I've had Rosa rugosa 'Hansa' growing in one corner of my yard since 2014 - an amazing feat in zone 3 gardens, where few roses survive. It blooms reliably every year, the fragrance is very much an 'old-fashioned rose' scent and it tops out a bit under 5 feet (I'm 5 feet 2 inches, and it's about eye-level for me.) Even better, it dislikes pruning and is extremely low maintenance.

This past spring was the first time in seven years Hansa offered up a 1-ft, perfectly-shaped off-spring (inconveniently in the middle of a mowed path). So I severed the connecting root and moved the baby Hansa to a new border bed, where it grew nicely all summer. Unlike several other rugosa roses here, Hansa stays put and does not spread or take over other areas of the gardens.

In zone 3, this is a hardy, well-behaved shrub that offers periodic flowers throughout the summer, after the first flush of blooms has passed... and even with (many) allergies, I can actually smell these flowers. I would recommend Hansa to any cold-climate gardener (where roses are hard to come by).

Reply to this comment

Noted by Antique Rose Emporium:
" ‘Hansa’ is a large shrub which will grow as wide as it is tall. It bears reddish purple flowers that are large, double, and highly scented. This rose is very free-flowering through a long blooming season. The clove scent, characteristic of the Rugosas, is especially evident in its lovely perfume. This easy-growing rose has become a favorite of ours as it also has a good fall display of attractive large orange-red hips."

Reply to this comment

This could have been the rose that guarded Sleeping Beauty's castle, the thorns are horrendous.

Reply to this comment