Beautifully formed open form with pointed tip petals. Quick to open but holds fully open for 3 days in moderate heat. Rain resistant. Short stiff necks don't nod or break even in heavy rains. Compact bush, heavily branches, short pedicels give the whole bush a very tidy appearance. Stays compact to 3 feet tall x 2 feet wide. Bloom size large: 4 to 4 1/2". Petals do not tend to reflex and stay separated, which gives the flower a rounded "pine cone" effect.

Moderate fragrance of apple/vanilla/strawberry and a note of freesia, becoming stronger in cooler weather and burns out by early afternoon if weather is very warm.

Petals do not easily burn, but it looks more delicate than it's brawn. Definitely fights off Black Spot fairly well, however does get some when shaded. Does best in Full sun with later afternoon shading. Prefers high humidity and 6 hours direct sun.

Edge color deepens to an almost wine/purple hue with a well-suited pH. Lighter pink in poor soil.

EDIT: Added 8/26/19: After the 4th year of stabilizing and feeding Miss C, I can say that the frequency of flushes and size/form of the flowers just keep getting better and better. It also has improved with a stronger fragrance of more spicy tones and more green apple and pear notes. I would call the fragrance a "Firm Moderate".

What a pleasure to have this one. It has beautiful disease-free glossy foliage, holds well to the plant and never defoliates in hot weather. Not at all bothered by rain or bad weather. Buds stay full for an extended period of time. They don’t shatter for 5 days, so the bush can end up filled with half open and fully open blooms at the same time. It has a nice form and naturally spreads out yet with stiff, fat canes, so as to not overcrowd or cross branches. Stays relatively stout, never achieving over 4’ tall here, and they tend to grow extra large in Hawaii.

Wonderfully abundant in flowers, it surprises every year as it will spit out random flowers every blooming month for me, which is just about every month except January. Fragrance is a combination of damask, raspberry, and a hint of cinnamon, which is apropos for this particular color, imho.

I would highly recommend this for the novice gardener and the pro alike, especially if you’re like me and do not spray. Just keep it fed, and it will supply abundant fragrant richly red, well formed and well-fragranced blossoms throughout the growing seasons. There is absolutely nothing bad I could say about this 5 Star Winner! ...except that it’s a must-have if you love red and love easy!

After a three-year assessment, I would finally like to offer an overall observation of this plant. CSK has been growing in a no-spray garden for the last 3 years and 7 months. Though it has been growing at a slow pace and throwing out new canes on occasion, it seems to also do the same with 2-3 flowers here and there. It doesn't tend to have an overabundance of problems with BS, though it's not free from it by any means. It does tend to hold its foliage longer than many, and that might be part of the reason. However, CSK does have a huge problem with Mildew on the canes, and does not seem to subside or grow out of it. Though the plant is now well-established, it does not seem to win the battle completely.

As far as the flowers, it seems to have a nice fragrance. I would call it a solid moderate. It's definitely present. Nice combination, not overly sweet, spicy, or anything. Just a blurred balance. The bud stays closed for an entire day here, and that is less common in a HT, because of our warm climate. It also seems to appreciate a little afternoon shade. The petals don't shatter fast (3 days full), and that is a bonus.

It definitely redlines on being one of the closest to shovel pruning, and if I only had a limited space, I certainly wouldn't keep it. However, it will remain. Though it reminds me that some roses just do better if sprayed. It certainly doesn't belong in a no-spray garden, if you have any level of humidity or rain.

Alternatives: IF you're looking for a similarly growing multicolor and fragrant HT with a bit more disease resistance, then I would suggest Sheila's Perfume, which has a delightful more powerful fragrance, more flowers, yet is very healthy in all respects, does excellent in a No-spray environment, and even tolerates a little more sun and heat than CSK.