Louise Clements vs. Lady Emma Hamilton. A Brief Comparison

Rosa 'Louise Clements' (Clements):
Rosa 'Louise Clements'

Rosa 'Lady Emma Hamilton' (Austin)
Rosa 'Lady Emma Hamilton'

'Louise Clements' vs. 'Lady Emma Hamilton'

Fragrance:
'Lady Emma' is the unquestionable winner. While 'Louise' has a mild, sweet tea fragrance, 'Lady Emma's is powerful citrus, intense, beautiful, and memorable.

Rebloom and productivity:
Both are quite good. Both winners. 'Louise' may have a slight edge, but 'Lady Emma' is only two years in the ground while 'Louise' is well established. Call it a draw.

Foliage:
'Lady Emma' wins. New foliage opens deep red, lightens to bronze, ends a deep blue-green. Wow. The foliage is as gorgeous as the flower. 'Louise's foliage is a dull olive, and is somewhat sparse, which counts against her. Sparse foliage means sunburned canes in our climate.

Rust/Mildew vulnerability:
No mildew on Louise. Just a touch on 'Lady Emma'. Both winners on Mildew.
A little December Rust on 'Louise', ditto on 'Emma'. A draw. Both were pristine in this year's badly rusted spring.

Growth habit:
'Louise' is upright. 'Lady Emma', after two years, is low and sprawling. I'll give this one to 'Louise' solely because the flowers are easier to see on 'Louise'.

Rosa 'Louise Clements':
Rosa 'Louise Clements'

Color:
'Louise' is a wonderful creamy tangerine. 'Lady Emma' is a breathtaking mix of pure clear orange and yellow. Matter of taste means I call it a draw.

Heat Tolerance:
Hard to say who wins here. I'll give the edge to 'Emma' just because she has more dense foliage, to better shelter her from a blazing sun. I wouldn't call either of them heat lovers, the flowers are too delicate, the petals too thin.

Okay, that was the comparison, but really I just wanted to post pictures of these two. Our weeks of cool weather produced some beauty, especially on 'Louise'--I've been dumping extra water on her which really produced some stunners. Our deliciously mild July 2010 will be memorable for intense color.

Rosa 'Louise Clements':
Rosa 'Louise Clements'

Rosa 'Lady Emma Hamilton':
Lady Emma

Our cool July also produced some gorgeous 'Just Joey', 'Lunar Mist', and 'Windermere':

Rosa 'Just Joey':
Rosa 'Just Joey'

Rosa 'Lunar Mist':
Rosa 'Lunar Mist'

Rosa 'Windermere':

Rosa 'Windermere'

Rosa 'Windermere'

Rosa 'Windermere'

Who needs a hot summer?

Comments

  1. Hi Hoover Boo,

    This comparison is very helpful! I've noticed there are quite a few roses that look alike (Windermere and Claire Austin, for example, or Pat Austin and Lady of Shalott), and it's nice to have this kind of point-by-point comparison to be able to tell some of the more subtle differences between them. Thanks!

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  2. Glad you found the post of interest, Peppa. Thank you!

    I think you are right, just looking at the flowers, many seem similar to one another. The differences are not in the photos.

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  3. Great title because these roses are incredible. You got really good pictures of them. I am looking to start growing some similar flowers in Hamilton because they remind me of the ones that my grandmother used to have when I was a child. Unfortunately I fell into them once. I don't know if you have ever fallen into a rose bush but it is bad news.

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    Replies
    1. I have fallen into a couple--I agree, not good. I still have a garden full, though.
      I hope you get to grow some beautiful roses--they really are a joy!

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  4. I love the form and the color of Louise Clements--initially. But mine seem to fade very quickly to a pink color. Disappointing. It has a lot of blooms, so that is a plus.

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    Replies
    1. I can't argue with that--a truly great rose flower ages well. Neither LC nor LEH look all that good at their finish.

      I can't believe how old this post is! I still grow Lady Emma, but Louise went into a sharp decline which proved to be crown gall and is long gone. Lady Emma 8 years on is big and strong, though the flowers still fade badly at their finish--but the sun is very bright here.

      Thank you for visiting my blog, and for your comment.

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