Sharifa Asma

Sharifa Asma, David Austin Senior 1989

One of the most magnificent Austins but discontinued in Europe by Austin but still widely available. I'll try to explain why and if she's worth growing.

Let me start with her fragrance: It's extremely strong, almost soapy but to me it was heaven. Her cupped, rosette shape flowers have a wonderful pink /white /apricot color. Quite a strong grower which can reach 100/150 cm

All good features yes so what's the problem? Well she doesn't bloom much in full sun, yes that seems odd but it's true. Sharifa loves afternoon shade and will pump out much more buds than in full sun. Her second flaw, and for me the biggest, is her being prune to balling. I grew Sharifa in the nineties at my parents house and in wet summers she was horrible. Nearly all her buds balled and rotted on the bush. But when we had dry summers (a minority in nineties Flanders) she was unsurpassed. Her radiant flowers and that heavenly perfume made you even more sad in rainy summers because you couldn't enjoy it.

Thinks have changed in the last 23 years and summers in South and Western Europe are getting less rain and more sun. Ideal conditions for Sharifa especially because many people have some partial shade areas in their gardens. Her foliage is a bit coarse and dark green. Sharifa has rugosa blood.

So my verdict for Miss Sharifa: Try her in a warm spot with afternoon shade. She's very suitable for pots and that's also the ideal way to smell that overpowering fabric softener smell. Yes I do recommend this Austin!