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See Plants That
Thrive In Your Area

Enter your U.S. Zip Code to see plants
matched to your climate (USDA Hardiness Zone).

We use this to show plants suited to your climate. Your information is never shared.

Desdemona

$67

Desdemona

Own-Root English Shrub Rose Plant

NEW INTRODUCTION 2023! Desdemona opens with peachy pink buds that gracefully reveal beautiful, chalice-shaped blooms in a white hue, tinged with a soft pink blush. These unique, incurved petals create a captivating interplay of light and shadow.

What sets this rose apart is its lovely fragrance. The strong Old Rose scent carries hints of almond blossom, cucumber, and lemon zest, making it a sensory delight. With its neat, rounded, and bushy shrub form, it's a perfect choice for borders and hedges. Its compact size also makes it well-suited for containers, offering versatility in garden design.

Named after Shakespeare's tragic heroine in "Othello," the "Desdemona's Embrace Rose" brings elegance and fragrance to your outdoor space without the dramatic flair. Its pearlescent pink petals, sunlit glow, and enticing fragrance make it a highly recommended choice for adding charm to your garden.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

Cutting
Long, sturdy stems suited for bouquets and floral arrangements.
Container Friendly
Grows well in pots or raised beds, ideal for patios and smaller spaces.
Fragrance
A noticeable scent, ranging from light and fresh to rich and classic.
Full Sun
Requires 6+ hours of direct sunlight to thrive.

Protected by Our One-Year Warranty! Every rose is backed by our one-year warranty, so you can bring your dream garden to life with confidence.

About Desdemona

How is my rose going to arrive?

When you order from Heirloom™, you can rest assured you’ll receive premier-quality roses that are true to variety, grown on their own-roots, and virus-free. All our roses are packaged to arrive healthy, hydrated, and ready for planting. We’ve also done away with single-use plastic. All our roses are shipped in recyclable boxes, compostable bags, and a zip tie dyed with natural food coloring. Your rose will look bare when it arrives, but that’s intentional. We defoliate our roses prior to shipping so they hold on to their moisture and stay healthy during transit. Each box comes with planting instructions. Follow those and you’ll see new growth in no time because roses simply want to grow.

Can I plant roses in fall?

Yes, fall is actually one of the best times to plant. Cooler temperatures let roses focus on building strong roots instead of supporting leaves and blooms, giving them a head start before winter. That means faster growth and fuller blooms come spring.

Order your roses now and choose the delivery date that works for you. Don't wait until spring, get a jump start on a more established garden today.

How do I know if a rose is going to do well in the area I'm going to plant it?

To give your rose the best chance of thriving in your garden, ensure that you’re selecting varieties that will do well in your region. You can do this by shopping for roses suited to your hardiness zone. Once your zone is selected, we’ll help you find the perfect rose for your garden, one that can withstand the summer and winter temperatures where you live.

Roses love sunlight. Choose a spot in your garden or on your balcony/patio that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day, this promotes growth and helps to keep fungal diseases at bay. Soil is the next important factor to consider for roses. Well-draining, loamy soil is preferable because roses love water, but hate wet feet. Give them at least 1”-2” of water per week throughout the growing season and water newly planted roses 2-3 times per week until established. Remember to water at the base, not overhead, to discourage potential disease and improve root growth.

How do I plant a rose?

To plant your rose, first find the right location. Pick a spot with well-draining soil that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. Once you’ve found the perfect spot, you’re ready to plant.

Dig a hole that’s at least 2’ wide and 2’ deep. Add organic potting soil to the hole, making sure it does not contain granular fertilizer, which can burn tender roots in the first year. Remove the rose from its compostable bag or container and set it in the hole, about an inch deeper than the soil line. Backfill the hole and water your rose thoroughly.

Newly planted roses should be watered 2-3 times per week until established. Water at the base to encourage root establishment and watch your rose thrive.

Rose Details

Type	English Shrub
Breeder	David Austin®
Color	White
Fragrance	Exceptionally Fragrant
Hardiness Zone	Zone 5-11
Size	4' x 3'
Rebloom	Repeat Blooming
Bloom Type	Cupped
Year	2015
Breeder Code	Auskindling

More Like This

Name: Desdemona
Brand: heirloomroses
SKU: EN032 GALLON
Price: 67.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

HOW OWN-ROOT ROSES BENEFIT YOUR GARDEN

Why Own-Root Roses?

An own-root rose is grown from a cutting of a rose plant, meaning the roots and the top of the plant are the exact same variety. In contrast, a grafted rose is joined to a different rootstock, which can overtake the rose you chose and create a weak bud union that is more vulnerable to disease or winter loss.

Own-root rose showing its established root system

More Likely to Thrive

Own-root roses give new gardeners better odds of success because they have shown stronger survival and performance under lower-care growing conditions.

American Society for Horticultural Science

Easier to Trust

Own-root roses avoid the graft union and rootstock issues that can make rose care more confusing and difficult for beginners. Own-root roses are also recommended for better hardiness and ease of care.

K-State Research and Extension

Confidence in Every Season

Own-root roses can recover from their own roots after setbacks, helping you spend less time troubleshooting and more time enjoying blooms.

Washington State University Extension

Every Heirloom™ rose is grown own-root, delivering dependable quality season after season.

Why Gardeners Choose Heirloom™

Est. 1973 - St. Paul, OR

50+

Years Guiding Every Type of Gardener

50+ years of growing roses means our team has seen every garden challenge imaginable. Whatever you are facing, we have the experience to help you get it right.

75+

Roses You Won't Find Anywhere Else

Heirloom™ is home to 75+ rose varieties you won't find anywhere else. When you grow what no one else can offer, your garden becomes the one people stop and ask about.

Guaranteed

We Stand Behind Every Rose We Grow

Every rose comes with a one-year warranty and the full support of our customer care team through every season of growth. Our goal is not just to deliver a beautiful rose, but to help you achieve the garden you have always dreamed of.

Heirloom™ is the best place to order rose plants online because we give you exclusive varieties, expert guidance, and a team that stands behind every rose.

Hardiness Zone: 9

Beyond Elegant and Oh So Fragrant

This is my first year with Desdemona and I put her in a big deep pot. In no time at all, she took off. The shape of her cups and fragrance are absolutely jaw dropping! This rose is so beautiful and repeat blooming. Not a good cut Rose so I think I’ll keep her in a pot at the base of the stairs so I can have her fragrance right at nose level each time I go up and down from the deck to the garden! A true lovely lady!

Romantic rose

I bought mine from another seller.
This rose is splendid in a vase, the delicate beautiful cupped petals are so gracious and lovely calling the viewer closer to admire in detail this pretty flower.
In the garden the bush looks elegant, healthy leaves, i didn't yet see any signs of fungus or disease which would spoil its appearance.
The flower rosettes are kind of small for a rose bush and have their heads hanging down because of their frail stems (in special in heavy rains regions like Ohio).
The fragrance is also delicate and have to smell it from up close to enjoy it fully.
As conclusion it is a particular type of rose, one that is more for a introvert person, maybe an old fashion romantic admirer of things that are quiet and delicate and not at all in your face.

Hardiness Zone: 7

Delicate and tiny

Like my Roald Dahl, I didn’t thoroughly research this rose before adding it to my garden, Desdemona blooms in clusters of very small blossoms, fading from blush to white as they open. She doesn’t have the high petal count I expected from a David Austin rose, but her cup shaped flowers are dainty and feminine. In the humidity of the south, she requires regular fungicide treatment to prevent black spot. With her clusters of little flowers, she behaves a lot like a spray rose.