My experience is with 1 plant. It easily hit 7 ft tall and 7 ft wide.

I'm sad that mine died. Thinking about replacing it with another. I honestly would not plant it near a walkway.

c

Thanks Cynthia! That's what I was looking for. You're in Arlington, right? I have enough space to put it where it won't encroach upon the walkway...it's just a question of whether or not it'll look "good" where I'll put it.

Why did yours die? I thought they were drought tolerant. I've already replaced one bush, I don't want to have to replace another "for no reason".

If you never prune them they can get huge, but I think you can make it fit in a large space if that's what you want. They form a big beautiful mound. Mine is 10+ years old, and probably 6-8' tall and 20' wide. I'll try to snap a photo and post later. Never been trimmed, in a place where that is OK.

It was well established and made it through the drought with very little help. I have to lug a hose to it and probably only watered it 2 or 3 times all summer. It did get kinda bad looking but it's bounced back fine.

It serves as the overwintering site for a bunch of Harris' and white crowned sparrows.

I just love this plant.

Teri

My mutabilis is around 8 years old and is about 7x7 ft. I pruned it kind of heavily twice (before I learned to leave Chinas, etc. alone) and, although it sulked for a while after the first trimming, the second pruning caused a decline in its overall vigor. In addition to the loss of vigor with the second pruning, the shape of the bush was not improved at all. I suggest you give this rose plenty of room when you plant it so you don't need to "butcher" it to keep it within its allotted space. Of course, that is based solely on my experience with my Mutabilis and others may not have had the same results in their garden with this rose.
Molly

I have no idea why it died. Maybe because I cut it back too much. It was watered with a soaker hose, a 4th of July was within a few feet of it and it made it...not sure how. Maybe it was because the passion vine incarnata covered it in the heat of summer....but I think that's what protected Old Blus, Belinda's Dream and the one whose name I always forget.... FDR's favorit for his lapel.

All I know is that for the past few year I had to cut back a long branch or two. I noticed that a big center old branch had split last year and died. Others were alive and well. I thought I would cut out the dead this winter and it would come back but it had died over the winter.I would not plant it in the same spot but I sure enjoyed it for at least 7 years.

I did not plant in a raised bed because I have really nice soil. Very lucky in that respect. Not sure who will get that spot in the sun.

c

c

Thanks, y'all! I *thought* I had the space for a rosebush of that size, but looking at the space again, in the light of day after trimming lantana, I'm not so sure. I want to put it on the "short" side of my front yard, but don't want it to shade the existing salvias and mountain laurel OR encroach upon my neighbor's side of the yard. I might be able to fit a 7' wide bush, but NOT a 20' wide bush! I've got a pie-shaped lot with the point in the cul-de-sac. Now, up to half of the bush would receive regular watering via my neighbor's sprinkler system while the other half would receive water via my sprinkler system when I think the yard needs extra water to keep it alive. I can, and sometimes do, water by hand/hose in between as needed...but I'm picking plants that can survive (i.e. not DIE) without additional watering. I want a pretty yard (especially since this is the FRONT yard) but I'll take water to drink and shower with over water for the yard IF I'm forced to choose...so I plant plants that will survive with little-to-no care. I'd be OK with pruning it back every year, I have to prune/trim the lantanas & salvias every Spring anyway, but don't want to have to do it more than twice a year. So, does that change anyone's opinion/thoughts? I haven't purchased the rose yet, planning on doing that at the Collin County Master Gardner plant sale in April...if they have any left by the time I get there.

I'll try to get pictures and measure mine. I truly don't know what happens when you prune them, I've never had to touch mine because of its location.

Teri

Thanks, Teri! You're almost directly east of me as I'm slightly northwest of the Lewisville Lake dam. From Cynthia's experience, I'm leery of pruning them drastically. I'd love to use the mutabilis as I think it's gorgeous AND I already have multi-colored lantanas on that side that would lead up to the mutabilis. But, if she wouldn't be happy in my yard, I don't want to plant her there.

Okey dokey, here she be in all her shining glory. She has just started blooming. In addition to carefree and drought tolerant she provides a winter home for a large number of Harris' and white crowned sparrows. The only maintenance I have to do is sometimes try to get in there and kill of a privet or something that has sprouted in there. They get really big before you can even tell there are there!

The first pic is just the plant, the second I backed off some so you can see how big she is compared to our 6X10 cargo trailer and a huge pile of woodchips provided by the tree trimmer.

Now, I'm not saying they can't be pruned, my neighbor liked mine so much she built a 'privacy fence' around her patio with them and is pruning them, but hers are only a few years old. We moved here in 1997 and I think I planted this within a year or two of moving in, so it's definitely 10+ years old.

Oh and just for fun, my first bluebonnets of 2012. Won't be long now if they don't all blow away, drown or get crushed by hail in the next couple of days :-(

Tx_Ag,

If you decide mutabilis is too big, look into the polyantha fairy series. I think the original pink is just called The Fairy and the red is called Red Fairy.

I have them both and rarely water them either and while big, they are much smaller than the mutabilis and they both have really nice shiny glossy foliage, really pretty even when not in bloom and are repeat bloomers.

Not the changing color thing that mutabilis does, but very nice none the less. Not as popular as some of the newer roses but I think they are a lot prettier than the knockouts and some of the others and they have been completely carefree with nothing but a little food or alfalafa now and then and a little water when it gets really really dry.

That is one humongous, gorgeous, healthy, beautiful Mutabilis! WOW!

If someone doesn't have space for this large of a specimen they can keep them a little smaller and shape them by pruning a branch or two now and then. That's what I've done.

Lucas, since you have the space you should plant a Mrs. B. R. Cant. Another huge rose, but oh so worth it.

Thanks for posting these photos!

I don't know what I find more beautiful...your Mutabilis or the pile of leaves/mulch next to it. I could sure use them in my garden!
Molly

Molly, I totally agree! LOL ... only a gardener sees a pile of mulch as beautiful and looks on it with longing!

Teri (saw your name above :-) please post another picture when Mutabilis is in full bloom.

Yes, the wood chips are nice. Tree trimmers will deliver them for free but they do take up some space ;-)

Yes I'll be happy to show off the mutabilis when it gets going. The RC Banks I've not seen before but it's tempting. My idea of growing roses is plunk them in the ground and ignore them so it takes a special kind. I do also have some of the Meidiland shrub roses in pink, white and red, but I don't like them nearly as well as the Fairies or the mutabilis.

My family members occasionally send me grafted roses which always end up losing the graft because I don't take enough care of them and I end up with something pretty useless. So I'm all about own root roses!

Thanks

Teri

Mrs. B. R. Cant is the kind of rose you can just plunk in the ground and forgot it. It's a very strong growing rose, and extremely healthy, beautiful, floriferous, and fragrant. It's my favorite antique rose which I put off growing in my yard for years because of it's size, but I planted it in my Mom's yard so am well aquainted with it's qualities.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mrs. B. R. Cant on HelpMeFind

lucas That is a monster and so gorgeous! Yes, I noticed the mulch pile and wished I had space for both a monster Mutablis and the pile.

I confess, I would not plant the Fairy near a walkway either....I wear shorts and sandals....grins
c

Oh, you guys are such enablers.............. I have room for both of these roses, now you make me want them and I really DON'T need them. What a beatiful mutabilis and yes, I would also like to see a pic in full bloom.

Teri,

Are you sure that's just ONE rosebush? Or maybe it rooted to the ground in a couple places? I'm trying to figure out how it can spread that far without collapsing. (And hoping that there's extenuating circumstances going on with yours that wouldn't happen with mine so I can go ahead and get it!) It is gorgeous, though. And so is the mulch pile. I want one of each!

It produces big arching canes. The center stems are probably 3" in diameter now. It's very woody. It really has kind of a clearing under it, it's not a thicket or bunch of suckers coming up, it all comes from the center.

You can kind of 'part its hair' and walk into the middle (with long sleeves!) that's how I kill stuff that the birds plant that starts growing up in the middle of it.

Yeah, the mulch is awesome!

Teri

Well, sugar. If no one has an older mutabilis that's survived being kept to no more than 7' in diameter, I'll have to go with something else. But, better I learn from y'all how big something gets than fight it and have it die on me OR have to take it out.

Thanks Teri!

I suspect that part of my mutablilis' demise was the heavy older branches that I tried to cut so it would "fit". I also suspect that if I had let it just lean into another bed it would have kept going.

c