SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rosa x kordesii 'William Baffin'

COMMON NAME: William Baffin Climbing Rose, Kordesii Rose

GARDEN SIZE: 6-10 feet tall x 3-6 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Vigorous

USDA ZONE: 2b-9b

EXPOSURE: Full sun - 4-6 hours of direct sun per day, ideally in the morning

WATER & SOIL: Medium, consistent water; avoid wetting leaves when possible. Prefers well-drained, neutral to slightly acidic soil with plenty of organic matter.

HABIT (FORM): Can be trained as a climber or grown as an arching shrub

FOLIAGE: Deciduous; glossy, medium green leaves made up of 3-7 leaflets. Stems have prickles/thorns.

FLOWER COLOR: Bright magenta pink with a touch of white at the center and yellow stamens

FLOWER FORM: Semi-double to double, saucer-shaped

PETAL COUNT: 15-25

FLOWER SIZE: 2-3 inches

BLOOM TIME: Large flush in late spring to early summer followed by occasional reblooming later in season

REBLOOMING: Some

FLOWER ARRANGEMENT: Large clusters

FRAGRANCE: Mild

PLANT ORIGIN: Indigenous to Asia and Europe, but hybridized all over the world for thousands of years

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: Limited - Most roses have little utility as hosts for local insects and wildlife, since they are heavily hybridized plants from other parts of the world. Flowers may provide food for pollinators while blooming.

FERTILIZING: Fertilize monthly during spring and summer by top-dressing with compost or applying any nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Stop fertilizing in fall to allow the plant to go dormant for winter.

PRUNING: Climbing roses tend to require less pruning than other roses, especially if you want your climber to grow tall. Prune reblooming varieties in late winter or early spring while dormant, and remove spent blooms during the growing season to encourage reblooming. For single blooming varieties, prune just after flowering to avoid removing next year’s flower buds. When pruning, remove dead branches and older canes that no longer produce flowers. Keep in mind that climbing roses don’t naturally cling to walls, so you'll need to fasten the canes to a support structure such as a trellis or arbor. Place supports at least a few inches away from walls to promote airflow. For more detailed advice on pruning and shaping roses, many helpful resources are available online.

TOXICITY FLAGS: Roses are non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Ingesting too much plant matter may cause mild gastrointestinal symptoms. Thorns can create small cuts if your pet rubs against them, and can damage the digestive tract if eaten. Remember to also check the safety of any fertilizers or pesticides used on your roses.

USES: Ornamental specimen that climbs arbors, trellises, and walls; Cut flowers

DISEASE PREVENTION: Fungal diseases like black spot and powdery mildew can be a persistent nuisance for Middle Tennessee rose growers. Here are some tips to limit fungal infections:

Avoid letting water sit on the leaves when possible. Water around the base of the plant rather than getting the leaves wet (though nature sometimes has its own plans).

Always use clean tools. Disinfect pruners between every cut using rubbing alcohol or a 10% bleach solution (i.e. 1 ounce bleach + 9 ounces water).

Space roses to promote good airflow and reduce the risk of disease transmission from one plant to the next.

Regularly remove fallen leaves and debris from around the base of the plant. Replace winter mulch in spring.

In late winter, coat the entire plant with dormant oil to suffocate pests and control diseases.

If you have persistent problems with fungal diseases, consider regular applications of an anti-fungal spray like copper fungicide or neem oil as a preventative measure.

Another rose pathogen to keep on your radar is Rose Rosette Disease. Caused by a virus and spread by microscopic mites, it currently has no known cure. Symptoms include deformed, reddish new leaves, excessive thorn production, and stunted growth. If your rose bush is infected, immediately remove, bag, and dispose of the entire plant to contain the spread of infection.

PARENTAGE: Rosa kordesii x (Red Dawn x Suzanne)

HISTORY: 'William Baffin' is part of the Explorer Rose series, a collection of cold-hardy roses bred to survive Canadian winters. The series was created by the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Canada, led for nearly 25 years by Dr. Felicitas Svejda. A key component of Svejda's hybrids was a rose called Rosa x kordesii, a cross of R. rugosa and R. lucieae, whose offspring tended to fare well in cold climates. The 'William Baffin' rose was bred in this program in 1974, and the new cultivar was released to the public in 1983.

Its namesake, William Baffin (c. 1584-1622), was an English explorer best known for his expeditions seeking a Northwest Passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Though his search was ultimately fruitless, his navigation and mapping proved to be remarkably accurate for his time. Baffin Bay, the body of water separating Greenland from Northeastern Canada, is named after him.

The research by Dr. Svejda and the Central Experimental Farm has enabled roses to venture farther north than ever before, like the explorers of old.