I've only had it a few weeks, but it's growing and blooming even though it has been in the 100s here in San Antonio. Gorgeous flowers and foliage!

I bought 'Nelson Mandela' last summer during a sale. It's doing well in a pot in my Mojave desert garden. The growth habit is upright but graceful - not stiff and awkward like many roses. It has had no disease issues, unlike many of my other roses which are riddled with powdery mildew. The color is so vibrant I haven't been able to get an accurate photo. I don't detect any fragrance, but I don't have a great sense of smell!

Something I like about this rose not mentioned in the description is that the stems are tinged red, and the thorns (there are many) are a very deep, dark crimson. This is on growth that is months-old at this point, so it looks like they are going to stay that way. It's honestly one of my favorite parts of the plant!

A little disappointed because it doesn’t really look like any of the pictures as far as bloom shape. And color accuracy is so unreliable with online photos that I didn’t love the color in person. Because I’m looking for something very specific I’m not sure I’ll keep it. Probably gift to another rose lover. Health is very good, of course, but I took a chance ordering and it ended up not being exactly what I’m looking for. No fault of heirloom roses.

I bought Nelson Mandela in the summer of 2023. He stayed small and did not bloom at all. But this year he began to bloom a bit. The weather has not been helpful, cold and rainy here in Oregon City. It looks like the sun will be here this week and hope that will bring more blooms.