The Cherish Rose Tree creates a captivating focal point in any garden, displaying abundant blooms at eye level. This unique standard form, a rose bush grafted onto a single, tall stem, adds an elegant vertical element to garden design. Its consistent flowering and delightful fragrance make it a popular choice for borders, patio pots, or as a standalone specimen.
Characteristics of the Cherish Rose Tree
The Cherish Rose, a Floribunda variety, is known for its prolific flower clusters. Buds emerge dark pink, opening to delicate salmon or coral pink blooms that lighten to soft pink with a salmon center. Each double bloom measures 2 to 3 inches in diameter, features 16 to 25 petals, and emits a mild to spicy fragrance. This rose produces flushes of blossoms from spring through fall, offering continuous color and aroma.
As a standard rose, it reaches 5 to 8 feet tall with a 2 to 3-foot spread, maintaining an upright habit. Its glossy, dark green foliage contrasts strikingly with the vibrant flowers. This variety thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 through 10.
Planting Your Cherish Rose Tree
Selecting the appropriate location is important for a thriving Cherish Rose Tree. Choose a site receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight daily for robust growth and abundant flowering. The area should also have well-drained soil and good air circulation to deter fungal diseases. Protecting the tree from strong winds is beneficial, as its elevated form is vulnerable.
Soil preparation involves ensuring a slightly acidic pH, ideally between 6.0 and 7.0, with 6.5 being optimal. Enrich the soil generously with organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure, to enhance both drainage and nutrient content.
When planting, dig a hole twice as wide and deep as the root ball. Position the rose tree at the same depth it was in its container, then backfill the hole, gently tamping the soil to eliminate air pockets. After planting, water thoroughly to settle the soil. Apply a 2 to 3-inch layer of organic mulch around the base to retain moisture and suppress weeds, ensuring it does not touch the stem. Due to its top-heavy nature, stake the Cherish Rose Tree immediately after planting for stability.
Ongoing Care for Cherish Rose Trees
Provide 1 to 2 inches of water per week, especially during dry periods, ensuring it reaches the root zone. Consistent watering is important for the overall health of your Cherish Rose Tree. Avoid overhead watering to minimize disease risk. Container roses may require daily watering in hot weather to maintain consistent soil moisture.
Apply a balanced rose fertilizer or acidic plant food once new growth is established, typically when shoots are 4 to 6 inches long or after the first flush of blooms. Continue fertilizing every few weeks or monthly throughout the active growing season. Stop fertilization six to eight weeks before the first anticipated frost date.
Cherish roses can be susceptible to blackspot, powdery mildew, and aphids. Ensure good air circulation and promptly remove any diseased leaves to help prevent these problems. Preventative measures, such as dormant oil sprays in winter or neem oil applications during the growing season, are also beneficial.
Pruning Your Cherish Rose Tree
Pruning is essential for maintaining the distinctive “lollipop” shape of your Cherish Rose Tree, promoting continuous blooms, and ensuring overall plant health. This process also removes dead, diseased, or weak wood and improves air circulation within the plant. The best time to prune is in late winter or early spring, just before new growth emerges, or after the last significant frost.
When pruning, remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches, cutting them back to their origin. For healthy branches, cut them back to a few buds, aiming for a pleasing rounded shape for the tree’s head. Make cuts at a 45-degree angle, approximately 1/4 inch above an outward-facing bud.
Deadheading, the removal of spent blooms, should be performed throughout the growing season to encourage more flowers and maintain a tidy appearance. Cut individual spent flowers just above the first leaf with five leaflets. Stop deadheading a few weeks before the first frost.
Winterizing Your Cherish Rose Tree
Winterizing is an important step to protect your Cherish Rose Tree, especially in colder climates where its elevated graft union is vulnerable to frost damage. Begin this preparation after the plant goes dormant and temperatures are consistently cold, but before a hard freeze. Stop fertilizing and deadheading six to eight weeks prior to the first expected frost.
For USDA Zones 6 and colder, several methods provide protection. Mound soil 10 to 12 inches high around the tree’s base to insulate the graft union and roots. Add a layer of straw or leaves over this mound.
Wrap the entire head of the tree with burlap or landscape fabric, or use a specialized rose cone. In very severe winter climates, the “Minnesota Tip” method involves carefully tipping the entire tree into a trench and covering it completely with soil and mulch. For container-grown Cherish Rose Trees, move them to an unheated garage or shed, or bury the entire pot in the ground.