Santa Rosa taller.
Cherub more blooms.

I would also suggest Cherub. Cherub grows much larger in the ground, topping out about 10 feet tall. The photo that Park Seed uses to market this cultivar fools you as it gives the impression this is a dwarf plant. Cherub has mega flushes and the plant remains relatively pest free here in Florida.

I agree that Cherub is more floriferous and easier to get to bloom. My Santa Rosa has consistantly gotten taller then my Cherub (both container grown)but I'd in no way say that Cherub is a dwarf variety. I think the flowers on SR are prettier but if I could only have 1 I'd go with Cherub.

Cherub!

I will have to look for a pic of Cherub.. Here is a pic of SR..

Kylie

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Cherub is a wild beast planted in the ground and will let
you know it will spread it's wings at will.

But also Cherub can be contain as a standard as well.
Cb
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In this thread there is a pic of the 2 of the together..

Great pic's CB!!

Kylie

Here is a link that might be useful: pic

sommergardens, cherub at 10' would be perfect, I did look Park Seed website & I thought it was shorter after reading their description.
karyn1, Just from pics ive seen on the web I like the SR blooms better too.
chena, you SR is gorgeous!
byrd4460, mine would be in the ground so hopefully it will do as good as yours does. Thats an amazing flush, especially for 2-28-11! My CG is just barely coming back from ground level now. Really gets me mad because I thought it wouldn't die all the way back because some of the branches were over 2" thick.
I really really like the SR blooms better, but I will take everyone's advice & go with cherub! Now I just need to find one. Anyone want to trade for a well rooted CG?
Thanks for all the advice everyone!
suz

I like that bed bench behind the brug, Kylie. I just love garden/art made from stuff like that.
Your SR is a beautiful looking tree.

Suzie if you ever want to just fool a round a bit with hybridizing in the future you should go with Sanata Rosa. Santa Rosa is a brug by JT sessions and is a hardy brug. It's a pod sister to one of my all time favorite brus which is Velvet Rose. The cross of Santa Rosa is Pink Beauty x Ecuador Pink. Both of these brugs have a great reputation for heavy flushes and durability. Cherub which is Parks Seeds big secret. They never disclosed what was crossed to make this brug. The parentage remains to this day, according to the databases i have checked remains "unknown"...so, to answer your question it seems like both brugs will give lots of flowers but only one of them has a background worthy of trying to cross one day if you ever get the bug....Santa Rosa

Thanks Lenette..I have another one started in the garage I hope to get it finished up soon...It is smaller I am making it for the kids..

I had to chop my Santa Rosa down. Over 12' tall! Couldn't reach it to pollinate! :)
Grew like a weed! Big, big flower. I would say it rivals Miss Emily McKenzie in size.

Santa Rosa flowered all summer, Cherub waited till October to put on one big show before having to be cut back for the winter.

I didnt have any intention of hybridizing, I never have. But if I ever did in the future sounds like SR would be a better choice.
Maybe I can make room for cherub & SR :-).

Will SR get 12' in a single season?
suz

Suzie I guarantee you curiosity will get the best of you eventually. Once you start growing brugs there's always that next level you just have to go to and that would be to take out that tiny paint brush and tickle a bloom. Since you need two different varieties to make cross you might as well try to squeeze both cultivars into your garden.....you can always cut back what gets too tall