Rosa chinensis 'Mutabilis'

Photo/Illustration: Todd Meier

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Botanical Name: Rosa chinensis 'Mutabilis' ROE-sah chin-EN-sis Synonyms: R. 'Mutabilis', R. x odorata 'Mutabilis' , R. 'Tipo Ideale', R. turkestanica Genus: Rosa

This beauty is prized for the unusual qualities of its flowers, which bloom continuously from spring until frost. The single cupped flowers open a honey-yellow, then they become coppery-pink, then watermelon, and finally a rich mahogany. The foliage is reddish purple, disease-resistant, and is evergreen in warm climates. This rose can be treated as a shrub or trained as a climber, reaching 10 feet high and 6 feet wide.
Noteworthy characteristics: While it is considered a China rose, the origins of this hybrid are a mystery. It is suitable as a specimen or an informal hedge, or grown in mixed borders or containers.
Care: Grow in fertile, moist, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Provide good air circulation and remove fallen leaves to help prevent disease. While dormant in late winter or early spring, prune lightly or back by up to 1/3, reducing side shoots by 1/2 to 1/3. To renovate, prune one in four or five shoots from the base.
Propagation: Take softwood cuttings when bloom initiates in spring to summer; take hardwood cuttings in fall.
Problems: Aphids, leafhoppers, spider mites, scale, caterpillars, sawfly larvae, cane borers, Japanese beetles, rose stem girders, rose midges, rose slugs, rose chafers, leaf-cutting bees, black spot, rust, powdery mildew, crown gall, canker, dieback, downy mildew, viruses.

Overview
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Height	6 ft. to 10 ft.
Spread	3 ft. to 6 ft.
Growth Habit	Clumps
Growth Pace	Moderate Grower
Light	Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture	Medium Moisture
Maintenance	Low
Characteristics	Attracts Birds; Attracts Butterflies; Fragrant Flowers; Showy Flowers; Showy Fruit
Bloom Time	Fall; Spring; Summer
Foliage Color	Evergreen
Flower Color	Orange/ Salmon Flower; Pink Flower; Red Flower; Yellow Flower
Uses	Beds and Borders, Cut Flower, Hedge, Specimen Plant/ Focal Point, Trellis
Style	Cottage Garden, Formal Garden
Seasonal Interest	Winter Interest, Spring Interest, Summer Interest, Fall Interest
Type	Shrubs

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