When to plant and prune Rose (Banksian)
Rose (Banksian) flowers from early May to late May and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Rose (Banksian) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
| South Coast and Channel | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
| South East and Home Counties | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
| East Anglia | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
| Wales and West Coast | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
| Northern England | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
| Northern Ireland | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late October to late December | early May to late May | early June to early July |
Growing notes
An enormous, almost thornless, semi-evergreen rambler smothered in small double yellow rosettes in late spring, weeks before other roses. Only for a big warm wall or a substantial pergola - it will reach 8-12m. Very little disease trouble.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 500 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 900 cm
- Eventual spread
- 350 cm
- Hardiness
- H5
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- No
- Balcony rating
- 1 out of 5
Feeding
Feed in March/April as growth resumes and again in mid-summer after the first flush; roses in containers need feeding fortnightly from mid-spring to late summer.
Pruning: what to avoid
Banksian roses flower very early, in late spring, on wood made the previous summer - the usual mistake is a winter tidy-up, which removes the whole display. They also need a warm, sheltered, south- or west-facing wall and are not reliable in cold or exposed gardens.
Pruning group
Rambler-style (RHS pruning group 18): prune after flowering, thinning out whole old stems and shortening flowered sideshoots; needs very little routine pruning once established
Winter protection
Best against a warm south- or west-facing wall in a sheltered spot; the early flower buds can be damaged by hard spring frost in cold gardens.
Bare-root season
Bare-root stock is lifted and sold while dormant, from late October to late March. Container-grown plants can go in at other times of year, but bare-root is cheaper and establishes well.
What usually goes wrong
- frost damage to early buds in cold gardens
- outgrowing its space
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for rose (banksian).