English Climbing RoseDavid Austin, 1961Pink

Constance Spry

The first English Rose in history; the starting point of all David Austin English breeding.

English Roses · FIRST in the collection

Variety profile

Flowering

Once-flowering

A single flush – a powerful burst lasting 3–4 weeks at the end of spring / start of summer. This is the variety's fundamental limitation, which Austin struggled against throughout the rest of his breeding. Months are approximate, for the climate of Ukraine.

Awards

RHS AGM

Award of Garden Merit 1993

Winter hardiness

−26 °C

USDA zone 5–9. All of Ukraine without problems, even the Carpathians with light winter protection.

Compare reference temperatures

Plant size

150–300 cm

Habit: A versatile rose – as a large shrub or as a climber; David Austin today positions it as ‘the tallest English climber’
Dimensions: As a shrub: 150–300 cm; as a climber: up to 600 cm (David Austin) – realistically 250–350 cm in Ukrainian conditions
Support: Recommended – an arch, pergola, trellis, large wall (south or west facing); it flowers most profusely on a support
Shoots: Long, flexible, arching – can be trained on a support
Branching: Good; over time it forms a strong framework

Flower

8–13 cm

Bud shape: Round-globular, deep pink
Open flower: Deeply cupped, globular, ‘old-fashioned’; diameter 8–13 cm – one of the largest among English Roses
Centre: Dense layers of pink petals in a classic old-fashioned form
Fullness: Very double, 26–40+ petals
Flower carriage: Borne singly or in small clusters on the shoot

Fragrance

Strong

Strong myrrh fragrance – historically significant! It was from Constance Spry that most English Roses Austin inherited the myrrh scent; before this, no old rose had given such a fragrance.

Disease resistance

4 out of 5

Black spotresistantPowdery mildewresistantRustresistant

Montreal Botanical Garden study: 0–5% infection with black spot, powdery mildew and rust – very good for a variety from 1961.

Sun

Full sun or an east, south or west wall

Thorns

Many

thornlessfewmoderatemanyvery many

David Austin plainly states ‘many thorns’ – the canes are prickly.

Foliage

Dark green, large.

Other names

Breeder's code AUSfirst.

All characteristics in a table

Group: English Climbing Rose
Breeder: David Austin, 1961
Bud shape: Round-globular, deep pink
Open flower: Deeply cupped, globular, ‘old-fashioned’; diameter 8–13 cm – one of the largest among English Roses
Centre: Dense layers of pink petals in a classic old-fashioned form
Colour: Soft pink with a ‘glow’ effect: the outer petals are light pink, the inner ones richer, a warm pink tone
Fullness: Very double, 26–40+ petals
Flower carriage: Borne singly or in small clusters on the shoot
Flowering: A single flush – a powerful burst lasting 3–4 weeks at the end of spring / start of summer. This is the variety's fundamental limitation, which Austin struggled against throughout the rest of his breeding
Fragrance: Strong myrrh fragrance – historically significant! It was from Constance Spry that most English Roses Austin inherited the myrrh scent; before this, no old rose had given such a fragrance
Hips: Forms a moderate number of hips in autumn
Habit: A versatile rose – as a large shrub or as a climber; David Austin today positions it as ‘the tallest English climber’
Branching: Good; over time it forms a strong framework
Shoots: Long, flexible, arching – can be trained on a support
Thorns: David Austin plainly states ‘many thorns’ – the canes are prickly.
Dimensions: As a shrub: 150–300 cm; as a climber: up to 600 cm (David Austin) – realistically 250–350 cm in Ukrainian conditions
Support: Recommended – an arch, pergola, trellis, large wall (south or west facing); it flowers most profusely on a support
Foliage: Dark green, large
Resistance: Montreal Botanical Garden study: 0–5% infection with black spot, powdery mildew and rust – very good for a variety from 1961
Variations of the variety: No official sports; it remains the unique ‘zero’ variety of the English Roses

Colour scheme

Soft pink with a ‘glow’ effect: the outer petals are light pink, the inner ones richer, a warm pink tone

Clematis partners (the rose is itself a climber)

The best partner for a climber — a Viticella group clematis (it does not compete for nutrients):

Clematis 'Étoile Violette'Clematis 'Mme Julia Correvon'Clematis 'Perle d'Azur'

Companion perennials

A classic English cottage-garden planting at the base of the bush — to hide its thorny 'legs':

Geranium 'Rozanne'Alchemilla mollisNepeta 'Six Hills Giant'Salvia 'Mainacht'

Availability worldwide

A classic of English breeding — widely available:

🇬🇧 Europe: David Austin · Peter Beales · Trevor White
🇺🇸 USA: Heirloom · David Austin USA · Antique Rose Emporium
🇯🇵 Asia: Austin importers
🇺🇦 Ukraine: all the major nurseries

More about the variety

Hips: Forms a moderate number of hips in autumn
Variations of the variety: No official sports; it remains the unique ‘zero’ variety of the English Roses

How to grow

Where to plant. Large arches, pergolas, south and west walls of houses, tall obelisks. In the landscape – as a vertical specimen plant or combined with clematis. It needs space – this is not a variety for a small garden.

Climate. Down to −26 °C – a full comfort zone for all of Ukraine, including the Carpathians with light winter protection.

Care. Pruning of climbers is light (cut out only old or diseased canes); it is important to train the main shoots horizontally for abundant flowering on the side shoots. Flowering only once limits the season of beauty – compensate with partners that flower late.

About the name

Name. After Constance Spry (1886–1960), the British florist and revolutionary of floral design who popularised old roses in bouquets and books long before it became mainstream. She decorated the wedding of Elizabeth II and the 1953 coronation. Bred by David C. H. Austin (then still an amateur farmer from Shropshire) in Great Britain; introduced through Sunningdale Nurseries in 1961. Patent code AUSfirst – literally ‘the first Austin’. Parentage: Belle Isis (Gallica, Parmentier 1845) × Dainty Maid (Floribunda, LeGrice 1938). This combination became Austin's ‘formula’.

Significance. THE STARTING POINT of a whole direction in modern rose breeding. Until 1961 the rose world was divided: Hybrid Teas (elegant form, repeat flowering, poor fragrance) and old roses (luxurious form, intense fragrance, only one flowering). Austin set out to combine these two worlds. The first successful cross – Belle Isis × Dainty Maid – gave a strongly scented pink rose with the form of an old rosette-shaped bud. For a long time this was the only ‘English’ variety – the next, Wife of Bath, appeared only in 1969. This is 'Sort Zero' for David Austin Roses – without it there would be no Mary Rose, Graham Thomas, Gertrude Jekyll or Olivia Rose Austin. Over 200 English Roses since then are direct or indirect descendants of that philosophy. The irony: Austin was dissatisfied with once-flowering; the whole subsequent direction of his breeding was a struggle against this limitation of the parent variety. RHS Award of Garden Merit (1993).

Frequently asked questions about Constance Spry

Does Constance Spry need winter protection?

The cultivar’s reference temperature is −26 °C (USDA zone 5–9). Overwintering depends on the conditions. All of Ukraine without problems, even the Carpathians with light winter protection.

How many times a season does Constance Spry flower?

How big does Constance Spry grow?

150–300 cm tall. On a support — up to 600 cm.

Which diseases affect Constance Spry?

Overall resistance: 4 out of 5. 0–5% infection in a Montreal Botanical Garden study; not the top score because of its single flush.

How much sun does Constance Spry need?

Sun; full sun or an east, south or west wall.

What does Constance Spry smell like?