Rosa 'Francis E. Lester'
francis E. lester rose
Garden hybrid origin (Lester Rose Gardens, Watsonville CA 1946; Hybrid Musk rambler; white+pink edge; apple-blossom fragrance; heaviest hip crop; mainly once-blooming)
Overview
Rosa 'Francis E. Lester' is a deciduous climbing to rambling rose reaching 10-15 feet (3-4.5 m) tall with a spread of 6-10 feet (1.8-3 m) and a vigorous, arching, rambling habit with long flexible canes. A Hybrid Musk rambler (Lester, 1946), it produces enormous sprays of small, single flowers 1.5-2 inches (4-5 cm) wide in white with a blush-pink edge—the pink-edged-white single flowers in massive clusters create a cloud-like effect. Each spray can contain 30-50+ individual flowers. The flowers appear in one heavy flush in June-July with occasional light rebloom. The glossy, medium green foliage shows good disease resistance. Growth rate is fast. Hardy to zone 5. Named for Francis E. Lester of Watsonville, California. Strong apple-blossom fragrance. Produces abundant small orange-red hips in autumn—among the heaviest hip sets in climbing roses.
Native Range
Rosa 'Francis E. Lester' is a hybrid of garden origin, bred by Lester Rose Gardens, Watsonville, California, 1946. Hybrid Musk class.Suggested Uses
Trained on walls, pergolas, arches, or allowed to scramble through large trees at one plant per 8-10 foot (2.4-3 m) section. Apple-blossom fragrance. Cloud-like sprays. Abundant autumn hips—do not deadhead. Lester 1946 California. Mainly once-blooming with light rebloom. Not suitable for small structures or where continuous heavy flowering is expected.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height10' - 15'
Width/Spread6' - 10'
Reaches mature size in approximately 4 years
Bloom Information
Enormous sprays of 30-50+ small single white flowers 1.5-2 inches (4-5 cm) with blush-pink edges, June-July. Main flush with occasional light rebloom. Strong apple-blossom fragrance. Abundant small orange-red hips in autumn—among the heaviest hip crops.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
White with blush-pink edge; single 1.5-2 inches; enormous sprays of 30-50+; apple-blossom fragrance; Jun-JulFoliage Description
Glossy medium green; good disease resistance; deciduousGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Plant in full sun in well-drained, fertile soil (pH 6.0-7.0). Hardy to zone 5. Vigorous climber. Good disease resistance. Do not deadhead—the autumn hip display is a major feature. Feed in spring.Pruning
Prune after flowering or in late winter. Train main canes horizontally. Remove oldest canes at the base every 3-4 years. Leave spent flowers for hip production.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
early spring