Rosa banksiae lutea – Yellow Banksian Rose

A very large and beautiful rose, Rosa banksiae Lutea is a vigorous, fast-growing, rambling rose, almost thornless and semi-evergreen. It does best trained against a warm, sunny, sheltered wall, where it will take up a great deal of room, but can also be trained through a sturdy tree or over a shed in the very warmest areas. The divided leaves are quite small, glossy, and deep green. In April and May the plant is covered for several weeks with large clusters of small (¾”/2cm), fully double, very pretty, pale yellow roses with a light fragrance; the flowers may repeat sporadically through the summer. The hardiest of the Banksian roses, it should not be pruned regularly; just take out a couple of the oldest stems to the base every few years. The yellow Banksian rose holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Site: Sheltered; tolerates salt air and urban pollution
Soil: Any fairly light, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil
Position: Full sun
Season of interest: April and May
Hardiness:  Fully hardy
Height: 40’ (12m) Spread: 13’ (4m)