Why Did My Hybrid Roses Turn into a Red Climber? Understanding Rootstock Takeover

All hybrid roses in a garden reverted to the same red climbing rose, which matched an old climber planted by the gardener's grandmother. The gardener wanted to know the cause and how to prevent it with new plants.

Rootstock Takeover

The red climber is 'Dr. Huey', the standard rootstock for grafted roses in the U.S. When the grafted variety (the hybrid tea or floribunda) dies—usually from winter cold or lack of vigor—the rootstock survives and sends up its own canes. Dr. Huey is extremely vigorous and quickly dominates.

Prevention

Choose roses hardy to your zone so the top variety survives winter. Plant the bud union (the knobby graft point) 2-3 inches below soil in cold climates to protect it. If reversion occurs, dig out the Dr. Huey entirely and replace with a hardier variety on a suitable rootstock or own-root plant.