Rosa, Found Rose, Hybrid Musk Rose 'Darlow's Enigma'

A superb performer---tough, adaptable, and unfussy, and a prodigy of vigor. Bloom is continuous. Strongly fragrant. Here on the east coas...Read Moret, where blackspot is prevalent, this rose stays healthy and spot-free without fungicide sprays.

It is hardy at least to Z4b. It is also exceptionally shade tolerant, as roses go.

This made the "Top 100 Performers" list from the NYBG's (no-fungicide) Peggy Rockefeller Rose garden, which gave it one of the very highest ratings.

Beware, this is a monster. Be sure you have room for it before ordering it. It can easily get 12' across or larger, even here in the north. It can be grown as a climber, and if you have a suitable tree for it to climb into that may be the best use for it. It is too large and vigorous to make a good pillar rose. The curved thorns are vicious, snag clothing and can be hard to disengage.

To my eye, it looks a lot like the species Rosa multiflora on steroids, but with continuous bloom. The single white 1.5" flowers are small and clustered on the ends of the long, arching canes, like the species. I'm not especially fond of the fragrance, but I seem to be in the minority.

This rose was discovered (not bred) by Mike Darlow of Eugene, OR in 1993 and returned to commerce around 1995 by Heirloom Roses, Inc. The original name is unknown, hence "Darlow's Enigma". (Some contend that it's 'Cascadia'.)

I agree with other raves about this wonderful rose purchased about nine years ago from Heirloom Roses in St. Paul, OR. It's very robust,...Read More completely disease-free, has a very long, fragrant bloom time, and thrives even in partial shade. I cut it back to a few canes four feet high in very early spring and now in mid-June it's in full bloom and over 14 feet growing into a tree. The huge thorns and very robust growth are minor issues compared to the overwhelming positive traits, and I love it to bits.

I have 2 Darlows which I purchased thru Northland Rosarium on line, they are based in Spokane and sell own root roses. I planted mine in ...Read MoreApril as a 6-8 inch healthy plant and still in September only 5 months later, is about 6 ft tall at full measure-and prolific with white flowers! They smell sweet the plant is adorable really my new favorite-and though the thorns are wicked I find them easy to work around because they are each spaced a few inches apart so there is 'finger room' to work with the vine if you tie it. They look like a blackberry flower or a strawberry bloom in pure white clusters. Over all this is a very easy plant to grow and care for.It is planted in soil full of red rock, old pine needles, in what used to be the yukky part of the yard. I need to transplant them today to my new home and am taking a full wheel barrow full of their soil with me since they thrive in this odd mixture.

I received this lovely rose from a Dave's Garden friend a couple of years ago and planted it under a new elderberry bush thinking it woul...Read Mored intertwine or ramble. Well, the elderberry bush is huge and thick now and I was surprised to find the abandoned 'Darlow's Enigma' deeply buried underneath in thick shade yet full of blossoms. So for those looking for a rose to grow in shade you will have to give this one a try!

Since rediscovering it I dug it out and planted it in a sunny space so I will have to report again if it acts like a 'proper' rose too.