This is the most infuriating rose I've ever grown. It has no resistance whatsoever to pests and diseases. In fact, it's comparable to a pest and disease magnet and it suffers from maladies that never strike any other rose in my garden. In addition to being highly vulnerable to black spot, which is a major problem here, and powdery mildew, which is a minor problem, confined only to my large ramblers and this ridiculous rose, it's the only rose I've ever had that has exhibited signs of rust and downy mildew, which simply do not exist anywhere else in my area.

The blooms are beautiful, but the foliage and the shrub itself look awful all year, ravaged by the previously mentioned diseases and a variety of pests -- curculio weevils, rose slugs, thrips, etc.

I put up with its unsightly appearance for about 20 years, but finally had enough and dug it up last year. It appears to be a never-ending torment, however. I must have missed a small piece of root because it came up again with a vengeance this year, producing beautiful blooms and hideous foliage.