Rosa × odorata 'Mutabilis' | Shrub Rose
rose Mutabilis (China rose)
The ever-changing flowers are what make this rose so popular and distinctive, with each bloom opening warm orange-yellow before developing through copper-pink to rich red. As the flowers mature at different rates, Rosa × odorata ‘Mutabilis’ can carry several colours at once, creating a constantly shifting display from summer into autumn.
Large, single, cupped flowers reach around 6cm (2.4in) across and sit against rich purple new growth, adding another layer of contrast. The open blooms have a light tea fragrance and provide easy access to bees and other pollinating insects, while the long flowering period keeps colour coming well beyond the first flush.
This bushy, disease-resistant China rose develops an open, relaxed shape with sparsely prickly stems, making it particularly useful in informal borders. Grow it in a sunny position in the open ground, where it has room to develop, or train it against a wall or fence where it can take on the character of a small climber. This repeat-flowering rose produces blooms over the season, rather than producing just one distinct flush, and make good cut-flowers that transition as they mature.
Fully hardy, it performs best in full sun and moist but well-drained soil in an open border setting. With its unusual colour-changing and attractiveness to pollinators, long flowering season and distinctive purple young growth, this RHS award-winning plant is a particularly good choice when you want a rose that offers something different from the usual single-coloured display.
All our roses are grown in an open field and then dug up when the weather conditions are right in October or November. Some suppliers send out their roses as 'bare root' plants (i.e. without pots or compost), but we pot ours up as it helps to keep the roots hydrated and in good condition. As they are dormant throughout the winter, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don't be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when you take them out of their pots.
The roses can be kept in their pots throughout the winter provided they are kept well fed and watered, however ideally they should be planted out as soon as possible. They will already have been cut back so no further pruning will be required, apart from snipping off any tips that have died back. Routine pruning can begin in late winter the year after planting.
Large, single, cupped flowers reach around 6cm (2.4in) across and sit against rich purple new growth, adding another layer of contrast. The open blooms have a light tea fragrance and provide easy access to bees and other pollinating insects, while the long flowering period keeps colour coming well beyond the first flush.
This bushy, disease-resistant China rose develops an open, relaxed shape with sparsely prickly stems, making it particularly useful in informal borders. Grow it in a sunny position in the open ground, where it has room to develop, or train it against a wall or fence where it can take on the character of a small climber. This repeat-flowering rose produces blooms over the season, rather than producing just one distinct flush, and make good cut-flowers that transition as they mature.
Fully hardy, it performs best in full sun and moist but well-drained soil in an open border setting. With its unusual colour-changing and attractiveness to pollinators, long flowering season and distinctive purple young growth, this RHS award-winning plant is a particularly good choice when you want a rose that offers something different from the usual single-coloured display.
All our roses are grown in an open field and then dug up when the weather conditions are right in October or November. Some suppliers send out their roses as 'bare root' plants (i.e. without pots or compost), but we pot ours up as it helps to keep the roots hydrated and in good condition. As they are dormant throughout the winter, they will not produce any new roots until spring, so don't be surprised if the compost falls away from the roots when you take them out of their pots.
The roses can be kept in their pots throughout the winter provided they are kept well fed and watered, however ideally they should be planted out as soon as possible. They will already have been cut back so no further pruning will be required, apart from snipping off any tips that have died back. Routine pruning can begin in late winter the year after planting.
How to care for Rosa × odorata Mutabilis:
If planting in winter, choose a frost-free spell when the soil is not frozen. Roses are quite deep-rooted plants so dig a deep hole roughly twice as wide as the plant's roots and mix in a generous amount of composted organic matter. A top-dressing of a general purpose fertiliser can be worked into the surrounding soil and we also recommend using Rose Rootgrow at this stage to encourage better root development. This is particularly important when planting into a bed where roses have previously been grown as Rose Rootgrow is said to combat rose sickness (aka replant disease).
Remove the plants from their pots and gently spread out the roots before placing them in the centre of the hole. Try to ensure that the 'bud union' (the point where the cultivated rose has been grafted onto the rootstock, and from where the shoots emerge) is at soil level. You can judge this quite easily by laying something flat, like a spade handle or bamboo cane, across the top of the hole. When they are at the right height, back-fill the hole, firming the soil down gently before watering the plant well.
Water generously until well established, and apply a specialist rose fertiliser (following the manufacturer's instructions) each spring. They will also benefit from a generous mulch of composted farmyard manure in spring, but make sure this is kept away from the stems.
This shrub rose flowers best on older wood and only needs light, formative pruning, best carried out from late autumn through to early spring while the plant is dormant, avoiding periods of hard frost. Hard pruning should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, as this can spoil the plant’s natural shape. While wearing gloves, remove any dead, damaged, diseased or congested stems entirely, and if the centre becomes overcrowded, take out one or two of the oldest stems at the base. If growth becomes leggy, new shoots can be encouraged by cutting one or two stems back to around 10-15cm (4-6in) above ground level.
Remove the plants from their pots and gently spread out the roots before placing them in the centre of the hole. Try to ensure that the 'bud union' (the point where the cultivated rose has been grafted onto the rootstock, and from where the shoots emerge) is at soil level. You can judge this quite easily by laying something flat, like a spade handle or bamboo cane, across the top of the hole. When they are at the right height, back-fill the hole, firming the soil down gently before watering the plant well.
Water generously until well established, and apply a specialist rose fertiliser (following the manufacturer's instructions) each spring. They will also benefit from a generous mulch of composted farmyard manure in spring, but make sure this is kept away from the stems.
This shrub rose flowers best on older wood and only needs light, formative pruning, best carried out from late autumn through to early spring while the plant is dormant, avoiding periods of hard frost. Hard pruning should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, as this can spoil the plant’s natural shape. While wearing gloves, remove any dead, damaged, diseased or congested stems entirely, and if the centre becomes overcrowded, take out one or two of the oldest stems at the base. If growth becomes leggy, new shoots can be encouraged by cutting one or two stems back to around 10-15cm (4-6in) above ground level.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Eventual height:
2m
Eventual spread:
2.5m
Position:
Full sun
Rate of growth:
Average
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness:
Fully hardy
-
This rose is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.
-
Humans/Pets: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten
