Étoile de Hollande climbing

Étoile de Hollande climbing, discovered by Leenders in 1931

Étoile de Hollande climbing is a red climbing HT and is nearly everywhere available. It has always been a popular climber. It is a climbing sport of the bush Étoile de Hollande but the climbing sport was so much better than the bush and now the bush form is almost completely forgotten.

The parentage of Étoile de Hollande include General McArthur, Marquise Litta, again Lady Mary Fitzwilliam and Eugène Fürst. This last one is an incredibly red fragrant Hybrid Perpetual.

The blooms of Étoile de Hollande climbing are double and red to dark red depending on the weather. The opening buds are Hybrid Tea perfection but when fully open you can see the golden stamens. The fragrance is incredible. It's a pure damask scent, the oldest and best known rose smell.

This is a really vigorous rose and against a big wall she can reach 500 cm easily. She makes stiff, thick canes of more than two meters each season! Try to bend them horizontally as soon as possible to ensure more blooms

Étoile blooms first in our garden and this year she started on April 17 and the first flush ended May 27 so almost six weeks. She reblooms in July but not with the same amount of blooms. Although it's a red Hybrid Tea she never gets blackspot, not ever! And also no mildew so she's very healthy.

Étoile de Hollande climbing is the most healthy of all early red HT climbers. The only difference with the other climbers is that her blooms are less filled, so more double. Use her on a big wall, a façade, a big pergola or big arch. Remember she's very vigorous. One of the best!