Lady of Shalott, close-up of the flower
Photo: F. D. Richards from Clinton, MI, CC BY-SA 2.0
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English ShrubDavid C. H. Austin; David Austin Roses, 2009Bicolour

Lady of Shalott

RHS AGM 2012 + AGRS 2017; warm apricot with a golden reverse; one of the healthiest English Austins; tolerant of partial shade (a rarity!); introduced for David Austin's 50th anniversary (1959–2009).

Leander Group · 50th anniversary of David Austin Roses

Variety profileGardeners' photos

Variety profile

Flowering

Repeat flowering

Continuous from spring to frost — one of the longest-flowering Austins. Months are approximate, for the climate of Ukraine.

Awards

RHS AGM 2012

+ AGRS 2017 (American Garden Rose Selections)

Winter hardiness

−30 °C

USDA zone 4–11. One of the hardiest English roses.

Compare reference temperatures

Plant size

110–150 × 90–120 cm
person 170 cm110–150 cm
Habit
Spreading, dome-shaped with arching canes — a typical Austin English Shrub
Dimensions
110–150 × 90–120 cm (David Austin: 4×3 feet; HMF up to 5×4 feet)
Support
No support needed
Shoots
Flexible, arching, hold large flowers well
Branching
Excellent, from the base

Flower

8–9 cm
Bud shape
Bright orange-red, oval — a rich 'flame' tone that contrasts with the paler open flower
Open flower
Cupped, with an open centre and a lush 'collar' of outer petals; bright bicolour — warm apricot inside, gold outside
Centre
Salmon-apricot, with visible yellow stamens
Fullness
~60 petals (David Austin), very full 40+ (HMF)
Flower carriage
In clusters of several flowers per stem

Fragrance

Strong; tea + baked apple + clove

Strong, warm 'tea' scent with distinct notes of baked apple and clove — multifaceted.

Disease resistance

5 out of 5
Black spotresistantPowdery mildewresistant

4–5/5 — David Austin positions it as one of the healthiest English roses; good resistance to black spot and powdery mildew.

Sun

Sun and shade

Tolerates partial shade — a rare advantage among Austin roses.

Thorns

Moderate
thornlessfewmoderatemanyvery many

Medium number, typical of Austin English Shrubs.

Foliage

Dark green, leathery, very healthy — an extra decorative effect.

All characteristics in a table
Group
English Shrub
Breeder
David C. H. Austin; David Austin Roses, United Kingdom, 2009
Bud shape
Bright orange-red, oval — a rich 'flame' tone that contrasts with the paler open flower
Open flower
Cupped, with an open centre and a lush 'collar' of outer petals; bright bicolour — warm apricot inside, gold outside
Centre
Salmon-apricot, with visible yellow stamens
Colour
Bright bicolour: inner petals warm apricot-orange, reverse golden yellow. The bud is bright orange-red; as it opens it turns salmon-apricot. A play of tones — like a flower glowing from within.
Fullness
~60 petals (David Austin), very full 40+ (HMF)
Flower carriage
In clusters of several flowers per stem
Flowering
Continuous from spring to frost — one of the longest-flowering Austins
Fragrance
Strong, warm 'tea' scent with distinct notes of baked apple and clove — multifaceted
Hips
Not documented
Habit
Spreading, dome-shaped with arching canes — a typical Austin English Shrub
Branching
Excellent, from the base
Shoots
Flexible, arching, hold large flowers well
Thorns
Medium number, typical of Austin English Shrubs.
Dimensions
110–150 × 90–120 cm (David Austin: 4×3 feet; HMF up to 5×4 feet)
Support
No support needed
Foliage
Dark green, leathery, very healthy — an extra decorative effect
Resistance
4–5/5 — David Austin positions it as one of the healthiest English roses; good resistance to black spot and powdery mildew
Variations of the variety
Code AUSnyson; parentage: two named breeding forms (not publicly disclosed — standard Austin practice); no foreign trade names

Colour scheme

Bright bicolour: the inner petals are warm apricot-orange, the reverse golden yellow. The bud is bright orange-red; as it opens it turns salmon-apricot. A play of tones — like a flower glowing from within.

Rose neighbours

Crown Princess Margaretadeep apricotBoscobelcoral-pinkBathshebaapricot creamBlue for Yousmoky purple · contrast

Perennials to plant nearby

Lavender 'Hidcote'lavenderCatmint (Nepeta)sky blueLamb's ear (Stachys byzantina)silveryEchinacea 'Sunrise'purple-pink

Rose neighbours

Warm apricot-salmon English family — Austin's flagships:

Crown Princess MargaretaBoscobelBathshebaBlue for You

Companion perennials

Classic English cottage family:

lavender 'Hidcote'catmint (Nepeta)lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina)echinacea 'Sunrise'

Availability worldwide

One of the most iconic Austin varieties of the past 15 years:

🇬🇧 UK: very high · David Austin Roses🇺🇸 USA: high · David Austin US🇪🇺 Europe: high · David Austin EU🇺🇦 Ukraine: moderate · via European nurseries

More about the variety

Hips
Not documented
Variations of the variety
Code AUSnyson; parentage: two named breeding forms (not publicly disclosed — standard Austin practice); no foreign trade names

How to grow

Where to plant. Classic English flower borders, and even in partial shade (a rare advantage among Austin roses); as a specimen by a wall; formal borders; ideal in a group with 'Crown Princess Margareta' and 'Boscobel' as a 'triptych of warm apricot Austins'.

Climate. Down to −30 °C — one of the hardiest English roses; in Ukraine no winter protection in most regions, light protection in the north.

Care. Minimal — prune in spring by a third of its height; removing spent blooms encourages new flushes; recommended as a first English rose for beginners because of its 5/5 health.

About the name

Name. The rose is named after the heroine of 'The Lady of Shalott', a poem by Alfred Tennyson (1832/1842). The Lady of Shalott is a maiden artist from the Arthurian cycle who wove on an island near Camelot, gazing into a magic mirror. When she saw the knight Lancelot and looked directly at the world, a curse killed her. An image of a romantic, lonely female artist in a tower. The variety was released ahead of the 200th anniversary of Tennyson's birth (Alfred Tennyson, 1809–1892).

Breeding. Bred by David C. H. Austin Sr. at David Austin Roses (Albrighton, England) and presented at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009 to mark the 50th anniversary of David Austin's breeding work (the company was founded in 1959). Code AUSnyson. Parentage not publicly disclosed — standard Austin practice. It belongs to the Leander Group in David Austin's classification (groups with weakened R. wichuriana blood — more resilient English Shrubs).

Significance. RHS Award of Garden Merit 2012 + American Garden Rose Selections (AGRS) 2017. One of the most popular and best-selling David Austin English roses of the last 15 years; the benchmark of a 'healthy English rose' for beginners — recommended as a first Austin. A rare combination: 5/5 disease resistance + tolerance of partial shade + winter hardiness to −30 °C — unusual for English roses. Sometimes confused with 'Lady Emma Hamilton' (AUSbrother, also an Austin apricot) — it is a different variety. The breeder is Austin Sr. (1926–2018), NOT the younger one.

Frequently asked questions about Lady of Shalott

Does Lady of Shalott need winter protection?

The cultivar’s reference temperature is −30 °C (USDA zone 4–11). Overwintering depends on the conditions. One of the hardiest English roses.

How many times a season does Lady of Shalott flower?

Continuous from spring to frost — one of the longest-flowering Austins.

How big does Lady of Shalott grow?

110–150 cm tall, 90–120 cm wide.

Which diseases affect Lady of Shalott?

Overall resistance: 5 out of 5. One of the healthiest Austins; recommended as a first English rose for beginners.

How much sun does Lady of Shalott need?

Sun and shade; tolerates partial shade — a rare advantage among Austin roses.

What does Lady of Shalott smell like?

Strong, warm 'tea' scent with distinct notes of baked apple and clove — multifaceted.

Gardeners' photos and reviews

My climate

Choose a reference temperature to compare with the cultivar’s data. This is not an overwintering forecast or advice on winter protection; consider wind, moisture and the duration of frost.

Regional data are generalised. USDA describes average annual extreme minima, not a forecast; the values in the list are rounded. Check the conditions at your site. More information: Roses in Ukraine's climate.