Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Lady Banks Rose - Yellow
Lady Banks Rose is the big, nearly thornless climbing rose that covers itself in small double yellow flowers each spring. It grows fast, keeps most of its leaves through a Valley winter, and can cover an arbor, wall or fence 15 to 20 feet across. Once rooted it gets by on low to moderate water. Bugs and most leaf diseases leave it alone, so it needs none of the spraying other roses do.
Best for: covering arbors, pergolas and trellises, softening long block walls and fences, spilling down slopes, and a big spring show without rose spraying.
One plant can cover an arbor or pergola, since it climbs 15 to 20 feet and spreads as wide. Give it a strong frame and tie the long canes in as they grow. In spring the whole top turns yellow.
Along a wall or fence, set plants about 8 to 12 feet apart, center to center. Run wires or a trellis on the wall so the canes have something to climb. It keeps most of its leaves in winter, so the wall stays green.
Without a support it sprawls and mounds, which covers a bank or slope. It takes clay, rocky and dry soil once rooted. Water it regularly while it roots in, then deep and less often.
It gets very large, so a small trellis or tight space will be overrun. Give it a strong arbor, pergola or wall wires from the start. It blooms only once a year, so prune only right after the spring flowers fade.
- Along a wall or fence8-12 ft apart, center to center
- Off a wallAbout 18-24 in from the wall
Water every day the first week, then every few days while it roots in. Once rooted, water deeply and less often, and cut back in winter. It is on the Valley's low-water plant list.
Prune right after the spring flowers fade, no later than about July. Never prune in fall, winter or early spring, because it blooms on older wood. Remove dead canes and cut back what has outgrown the space.
Plant it next to a sturdy arbor, pergola or wall wires. Tie long canes in as they grow. Without support it mounds and sprawls, which works on a slope.
It is virtually pest free in the Valley, and most fungal diseases leave it alone. No spraying or repeat feeding needed.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
When does Lady Banks Rose bloom?
Once a year, in spring. In the Valley the main show comes around mid-March. Enjoy it, because it will not repeat until next spring.
When should I prune Lady Banks Rose?
Right after it finishes blooming, and no later than about July. It flowers on older wood, so do not prune in fall, winter or early spring, or you cut off next year's flowers.
Does Lady Banks Rose have thorns?
It is nearly thornless, which makes it easier to train over an arbor or along a walkway than most roses.
How big does Lady Banks Rose get?
About 15 to 20 feet tall on a support and up to 20 feet wide. Left unpruned for years it can grow much larger, so give it a strong structure.
How far apart should I plant Lady Banks Rose?
About 8 to 12 feet apart, center to center, along a wall or fence. One plant is usually enough for an arbor. Set it about 18 to 24 inches off a wall.
How often should I water Lady Banks Rose?
Water regularly while it roots in. Once rooted it gets by on low to moderate water, with deep soaks spaced further apart, and less in winter.
Does it need spraying like other roses?
No. Bugs and most fungal diseases leave it alone in the Valley. Skip the spraying, repeat feeding and deadheading other roses need.
Will it grow in part shade?
Yes. It grows in full sun or part sun. An east wall suits climbing roses well in the Valley.
Does it lose its leaves in winter?
Mostly no, it keeps most of its leaves through a Valley winter, and it handles cold to about 10°F. There is no need to cover it.
What soil does it need?
It needs soil that drains. It takes clay, sandy and rocky soil and dry spells once rooted. Mix some compost into the planting hole.
Yellow or white Lady Banks, what is the difference?
Same plant, same size and care. The yellow form has soft yellow double flowers. The white form has white double flowers with a light violet scent.
Lady Banks Rose - Yellow for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Lady Banks Rose (Rosa banksiae) is a climbing rose from China with nearly thornless canes and a once-a-year spring bloom. This is the yellow form, with small double flowers in clusters. Below: how big it gets, spacing on a wall or arbor, water, when to prune, and how it differs from other roses.
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Lady Banks Rose in Phoenix
Lady Banks Rose is a climbing rose from China that does well in Phoenix yards. It blooms once each spring, keeps most of its leaves in winter and is virtually pest free in the Valley.
When to prune Lady Banks Rose in Arizona
Prune right after the spring bloom, and finish by about July. It flowers on older wood, so fall, winter or early spring pruning removes next year's flowers.
How big does Lady Banks Rose get?
Plan for about 15 to 20 feet tall on a support and up to 20 feet wide. Left alone for decades it can grow far larger. A white Lady Banks in Tombstone covers over 8,000 square feet.
How far apart to plant Lady Banks Rose on a wall
Plant about 8 to 12 feet apart, center to center, along a wall or fence. Keep the plant about 18 to 24 inches off the wall. One plant usually covers an arbor.
When does Lady Banks Rose bloom in the Valley?
In spring, with the main show around mid-March in Phoenix. Clusters of small double yellow flowers cover the plant, then it rests until the next spring.
Lady Banks Rose vs regular roses
Lady Banks is nearly thornless, blooms once a year and needs no spraying or deadheading. Garden roses rebloom through spring and fall but need more water, feeding and winter pruning.
Watering Lady Banks Rose
Water often while it roots in, then deep and less often. Once rooted it is a low to moderate water plant and is on the Phoenix area low-water plant list.
Best time to plant Lady Banks Rose in Arizona
Winter, from about December through February, is the best time to plant roses in the Valley. Fall and early spring also work. Summer planting is the hardest on a new rose.
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