White Tree Rose

Question

I thought that I lost my creamy white 5-year-old J&P (Whisper) Hybrid Tea Rose tree last year. I cut it down and it is now back as a red rose bush. What happened? Why did it change color and become a completely different kind of rose?

Answer 1

Tree roses are created or built by grafting a desired rose bush (up to four actually) to the top of a hardy rose rootstock cane that has been trained up to act like a tree trunk. The bottom hardy portion of the tree rose can be a rose named Dr. Huey while the top part, the part you liked so well, is another rose bush, such as the Whisper variety. The top part is what most often dies due to the cold winters. If the bottom part does survive, it will put out the red blooms that are typical of the hardier root stock. The Whisper portion of the tree rose you originally purchased is now unfortunately gone. This article has additional information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/learn-more-about-tree-roses.htm