'Frederic Mistral ®' rose reviews and comments

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'Frederic Mistral ®' rose Reviews & Comments

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Discussion id : 169-010 most recent 12 NOV HIDE POSTS

Initial post 12 NOV by Kristiina

I have both Schloss Ippenburg and Frederic Mistral planted side by side on a south wall in Zone 6a, heavy clay soil but generously amended with compost and manure - the flowers are somewhat similar, the fragrance is fantastic in both, but on the latter they lasts much longer (weeks as opposed to a few days for Schloss Ippenburg) and it reblooms more easily. Frederic Mistral is also much bushier than the straight HT form of Schloss Ippenburg. Both plants were left without winter protection one year before heavy winter and spring frosts - both had to be cut back to the ground, but came back well and flowered as usual (not much mulching as well). Frederic Mistral, of course, has lost it's bushiness (many canes), so fewer flowers, but the same vigour.

Discussion id : 123-796 most recent 7 NOV 20 HIDE POSTS

Initial post 7 NOV 20 by HMF supporting member

Viviane SCHUSSELE

Frédéric Mistral 1830 – 1914 écrivain français, aussi lexicographe de langue occtiane	REPLY

Discussion id : 110-264 most recent 27 APR 18 HIDE POSTS

Initial post 27 APR 18 by jeffbee

this rose is VERY vigorous, grows very fast. it is very fragrant with citrus scent with some tone of tropical fruits like mango. the quality of the pale pink petals are very good, forming an elegant high centered shape. it can do well as cut flower, it has long straight stems and stays like 5-7 days. due to my experience, it needs more water to grow well.	REPLY

Discussion id : 95-856 most recent 27 OCT 17 SHOW ALL

Initial post 12 NOV 16 by Badger Rose

Such a beautiful rose. It has an innocent pale pink on the upper surface and a slightly darker almost brush-stroke effect on the reverse of the petals that makes for a subtle contrast. The buds are huge, petal-packed (which hide their stamens), held proud and straight, and last for a long time on the bush or in a vase. I would like some more basal stems at the bottom so hopefully I can coax some more out next spring. The rose is over 6' this year (its 3rd year), having gotten there all the way from ground zero. I live in zone 5a so between the cold and the voles not much is left of my roses come spring. I'm impressed by its strong branching where other roses' secondary branches are weaker and floppy. This rose blackspots for me but pretty much all of my roses do even though I selected them for disease resistance. This is something I need to work on. The fragrance is great; more of a classic scent to me. Love it.

Reply #1 of 21 posted 12 NOV 16 by HMF supporting member

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Reply #2 of 21 posted 20 NOV 16 by G. Byron

Nice to hear this beautiful rose does as well in zone 5a as in my zone 10a. Mine, second year, is nearly 6', very strong shooting, and still flowering on 20 November. Strong, sweet fragrance that holds up in the summer heat. A little mildew, but otherwise no disease. While the general description of the rose says nearly thornless, mine has quite large and nasty thorns. Nevertheless one of my three favourite pink roses when it comes to scent and flower form.

Reply #3 of 21 posted 24 DEC 16 by Badger Rose

Reply #4 of 21 posted 10 JUN 17 by StrawChicago heavy clay zone 5

A zone 5a person told me to winter-protect Frederic Mistral, but I forgot to winter-protect it one winter, and lost it after 3 years. When I dug Fred up, its roots were big and woody like trees' roots, but they run on the surface, and don't go deep past 1 foot like Austin roses. Frederic Mistral needs at least 6 inch. of wood-chips or leaves to keep moist, otherwise roots dry out and die if there's no snow in the winter.

Reply #5 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by Badger Rose

You seem to be correct. I lost Fred this spring, having failed to cover him. The snow melted super early this year and went through a brutal freeze/thaw cycle. NOOOO! FRED!!! I will dig up the roots to see if mine grew the same way and let you know.	REPLY

Reply #6 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by Lavenderlace

Reply #7 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by StrawChicago heavy clay zone 5

Clay was what killed my Frederic Mistral. When Fred was in dense clay, he was really stingy. I had to move him to a dry spot, and fixed my clay with 1 bag of coarse sand, then he bloomed much better. But it's still heavy clay at bottom, so Fred's roots could not go deep, and got zapped by a dry winter.	REPLY

Reply #8 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by Lavenderlace

Reply #9 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by G. Byron

Reply #11 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by Lavenderlace

Reply #10 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by StrawChicago heavy clay zone 5

Lavenderlace: I'm looking out my window. Golden Celebration has light-green foliage like Fred. If you are a fragrance-lover, Golden Celebration is a must. I wish I bought 2. G.C. does well for a person in sandy soil & hot climate, so I suspect the light-green foliage prefer loamy soil. Golden Celebration has more petals than Jude but it's more vigorous than Jude. Roses Unlimited have it on sale for $12 now. https://rosesunlimitedsc.com/

Reply #12 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by Lavenderlace

I am definitely a fragrance lover! Thanks for the tip. Yellow doesn't look great here with our sun-burned landscape but yesterday I had huge bouquets of Sharifa Asma, Everlyn, Jude the Obscure, with the yellow Lemon Spice having the best fragrance to everybody's nose here, Jude second.

I wonder if there's something to the yellow or if it's just a coincidence? By far surpassing universally acknowledged fragrance favorites like Double Delight, Madame IP, Mr, Lincoln, Memorial Day, SDLM, etc., in my climate.

Reply #13 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by StrawChicago heavy clay zone 5

I think yellow has the "Pernetiana" trait that likes it hot & dry & alkaline, such as Sutter's Gold. I'm VERY PICKY about yellow that fades, that's why I like Golden Celebration so much, since it doesn't fade like Julia child (which has a weird cough-syrup scent). Golden Celebration smells better than cupcakes from the oven, like a cross between a bakery and a florist shop, so addictive !! I will risk looking like an idiot asking Roses Unlimited to change my order for a 2nd Golden Celebration due to addiction, but I'll do anyway.

Reply #14 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by Lavenderlace

Reply #16 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by StrawChicago heavy clay zone 5

One thing that I miss the most about Frederic Mistral (a French Romantica) is how well it handled hot sun above 90 F. It was next to a cement foundation, with radiated heat, and leaves never scorch.

I have a hard-time with light-green foliage, it spells "stingy" for dense & heavy clay. Charles Darwin has light-green foliage, and really stingy as own-root in my heavy clay. when I dug to give it away, its root is 1/4 the size of dark-green foliage Scepter'd Isle.

Reply #17 of 21 posted 14 JUN 17 by Lavenderlace

James Galway looks very beautiful though Straw! On comparing roses, I have a feeling what works for me will be the opposite of what works for you! Charles de Gaulle and Love Potion with very dark leaves are being watered twice a day now because my fast draining soil won't stay wet enough for them.	REPLY

Reply #15 of 21 posted 13 JUN 17 by StrawChicago heavy clay zone 5

G. Byron: Thank you for a fantastic review of Fredreric Mistral .. I agree, and really appreciate your info. of Fred does well in sandy soil & hot summer. How's your garden in Scotland compared to Menorca, Spain. And how's the climate / soil difference on the 2 locations? My last house was acidic clay (only 1/2 hour away), and my current house is alkaline clay .. roses are much healthier in alkaline clay.

I click on G. Byron to find roses listed in your garden, to see which ones prefer sandy soil & hot weather. But it's best to ask you directly, since some roses may be grafted, rather than own-roots. With own-roots, the right type of soil is important.

Reply #18 of 21 posted 14 JUN 17 by G. Byron

How I envy you all in North America in being able to get own root roses so easily. Nearly every rose I buy here, whether I get it from the UK or France (my two main sources) or other European countries, seems to be grafted.
I must start to make my list of the roses I grow. I've been here in Menorca only about 5 years, so have been doing a lot of experimenting, and a lot of roses - once I used to love in the damp cool climate of Scotland - don't work here, especially the old roses like Bourbons. So there have been many roses tossed out, I'm afraid, over those 5 years. It's been a steep learning curve.

A lot of the French roses do work exceptionally well here, like Fred and Andre le Notre, Parfum de Liberte. They make very large bushes though and can't be kept low.

The American rose Pope Jean Paul II is another winner here, with almost continual bloom. And Don Juan is (had him 2 years) doing very well. I find it so hard to find a red rose that doesn't fade to a rather awful pink here.

But will start making my list asap.

Reply #19 of 21 posted 14 JUN 17 by Lavenderlace

Reply #20 of 21 posted 14 JUN 17 by StrawChicago heavy clay zone 5

Yes, French roses like Meilland or Romantica (Frederic Mistral, Bolero, Sweet Promise 2007, Liv Tyler, Betty White, Dee-lish) are fantastic as own-roots for my hot summer up to 100 F .. they are vigorous for my rock hard clay. My soil and tap water are alkaline, and the French roses have thick roots to secrete acid to push through my heavy clay. French roses can take full-sun with thick leaves & thick petals .. cut-blooms last long in the vase. One summer the sun was so intense that I had to wear a large hat to work the garden .. otherwise my head hurt from the heat !! That summer every Austin blooms were burnt to crisp or blow fast with the hot wind, but French blooms withstand the strong wind and the intense heat. French roses also smell fantastic regardless of hot or cold, but Austin roses lose their scent in hot & dry, except for Austins that bloom easily with alkaline tap water: Evelyn, Mary Magdalene, Radio Times, Pat Austin and Golden Celebration .. but these are best in partial shade.

Reply #21 of 21 posted 27 OCT 17 by Chirotteri

G. Byron you can get own roots roses from Italy!

Nino Sanremo: a large catalogue!
Rosso Tiziano: old roses. Try Tea roses, stand heat very well!
Mondorose: good catalogue, only some are grown on own roots though.

Then you might consider "Rose Barni", italian roses for warm climates. I suggest 'Le Toscane' HT with 'antique' blooms.

...and if you like the big and bautiful Americans, "Le Rose di Nicola Cavina" sells a good selection (grafted).