John Davis Rosa Explorer Group
Other Common Name(s):
- Alexander MacKenzie
- Captain Samuel Holland
- Champlain
- Charles Albanel
- David Thompson
- De Montarville
- Frontenac
- George Vancouver
- Henry Hudson
- Henry Kelsey
- Jens Munk
- John Cabot
- John Franklin
- J. P. Connell
- Lambert Closse
- Louis Jolliet
- Marie-Victorin
- Martin Frobisher
- Nicolas
- Quadra
- Royal Edward
- Simon Fraser
- William Baffin
- William Booth
- Phonetic Spelling
- RO-zuh
- Description
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The Explorer group was created by Agriculture Canada in the 1960s under the direction of breeder Felicitas Svejda. Her goal was to create roses that were hardy, disease-resistant, repeat blooming and easy to propagate from cuttings. They are all named for explorers except for 'J. P. Connell' who was a Deputy Minister of Agriculture in the 1980’s. The cultivars created are listed below.
These roses are anywhere from 3 feet to 10 feet tall. Most are shrubs but 'Louis Jolliet' is a climber, Captain Samuel Holland is a pillar shrub with trailing stems and 'Charles Albanel' is appropriate as a groundcover. They are hardy to zone 3A and a few to 2A. These roses prefer full sun and fertile moist well-drained soil. A layer of mulch will help keep weeds in check as well as retain moisture. Fall clean-up is recommended, removing fallen leaves and spent blooms. Pruning can be accomplished at the same time.
The flowers are mostly semi-double to double, lightly scented and repeat bloom throughout the season. Colors range from red, pink, peach yellow and white. Leaves are glossy and stems have prickles.
Depending on the cultivar, you can use them as a ground cover, on a trellis, as a hedge, as a specimen or in groups.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Extreme resistance to blackspot, mildew and rust. Watch for Japanese beetle, aphids, cane borer, and rose midge. See pests of roses to the left.
VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Alexander MacKenzie'
Deep red, cup-shaped flowers on 4-5 foot shrub - 'Captain Samuel Holland'
Trailing growth habit and branches that grow to 6 feet, red flowers with 23 petals - 'Champlain'
Dark red slightly fragrant flowers on 3 foot shrub - 'Charles Albanel'
Reddish pink double frowers on 1.5 foot shrub. Can be used as groundcover - 'David Thompson'
Reddish pink flowers, 25 petals shrub hight 4 ft, - 'De Montarville'
Medium pink with 26 petals on 3 foot shrub - 'Frontenac'
Deep pink with 20 pets on 3 foot shrub - 'George Vancouver'
Medium red with 24 petals on a 3 foot shrub - 'Henry Hudson'
1.5-2 foot shrub with white with a pink tinge flowers and 20 petals - 'Henry Kelsey'
Flowers are medium red, spicy fragrance, 25 petals and 4 foot shrub - 'Jens Munk'
Fragrant, medium pink flowers, 25 petals, 5-6 foot shrub - 'John Cabot'
8-10 ft shrub, fragrant flowers are medium red, 40 petals - 'John Davis'
medium pink flowers have a light spicy scent, 6-8 foot shrub - 'John Franklin'
Medium red, slightly fragrant flowers, 25 petals, 4 foot shrub - 'J. P. Connell'
Medium yellow double floers on 5 ft shrub. Not named for an explorer. - 'Lambert Closse'
Medium pink-blend, 53 petals, 2.7 foot shrub - 'Louis Jolliet'
4 ft climber with medium pink flowers with 38 petals - 'Marie-Victorin'
Flowers are pale peach tht fade to pink, 38 petals, 4.5 ft shrub. - 'Martin Frobisher'
4-6.5 ft shrub with soft pink and fragrant flowers with 40 petals - 'Nicolas'
medium red flowers with 18-20 petals on 2.5 ft shrub - 'Quadra'
5 ft shrub with deep red flowers fading to light red and 55 petals - 'Royal Edward'
Medium pink to pale pink flowers on a 1.5 ft shrub - 'Simon Fraser'
Medium pink flowers with 22 petals on a 2 ft shrub - 'William Baffin'
Flowers are medium red, slightly fragrant, 20 petals, on a 8-10 ft shrub - 'William Booth'
Medium red to light red flowers with 5 petals on a 5 ft shrub
- 'Alexander MacKenzie'
- 'Alexander MacKenzie', 'Captain Samuel Holland', 'Champlain', 'Charles Albanel', 'David Thompson', 'De Montarville', 'Frontenac', 'George Vancouver', 'Henry Hudson', 'Henry Kelsey', 'Jens Munk', 'John Cabot', 'John Davis', 'John Franklin', 'J. P. Connell', 'Lambert Closse', 'Louis Jolliet', 'Marie-Victorin', 'Martin Frobisher', 'Nicolas', 'Quadra', 'Royal Edward', 'Simon Fraser', 'William Baffin', 'William Booth'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Alexander MacKenzie'
Deep red, cup-shaped flowers on 4-5 foot shrub - 'Captain Samuel Holland'
Trailing growth habit and branches that grow to 6 feet, red flowers with 23 petals - 'Champlain'
Dark red slightly fragrant flowers on 3 foot shrub - 'Charles Albanel'
Reddish pink double frowers on 1.5 foot shrub. Can be used as groundcover - 'David Thompson'
Reddish pink flowers, 25 petals shrub hight 4 ft, - 'De Montarville'
Medium pink with 26 petals on 3 foot shrub - 'Frontenac'
Deep pink with 20 pets on 3 foot shrub - 'George Vancouver'
Medium red with 24 petals on a 3 foot shrub - 'Henry Hudson'
1.5-2 foot shrub with white with a pink tinge flowers and 20 petals - 'Henry Kelsey'
Flowers are medium red, spicy fragrance, 25 petals and 4 foot shrub - 'Jens Munk'
Fragrant, medium pink flowers, 25 petals, 5-6 foot shrub - 'John Cabot'
8-10 ft shrub, fragrant flowers are medium red, 40 petals - 'John Davis'
medium pink flowers have a light spicy scent, 6-8 foot shrub - 'John Franklin'
Medium red, slightly fragrant flowers, 25 petals, 4 foot shrub - 'J. P. Connell'
Medium yellow double floers on 5 ft shrub. Not named for an explorer. - 'Lambert Closse'
Medium pink-blend, 53 petals, 2.7 foot shrub - 'Louis Jolliet'
4 ft climber with medium pink flowers with 38 petals - 'Marie-Victorin'
Flowers are pale peach tht fade to pink, 38 petals, 4.5 ft shrub. - 'Martin Frobisher'
4-6.5 ft shrub with soft pink and fragrant flowers with 40 petals - 'Nicolas'
medium red flowers with 18-20 petals on 2.5 ft shrub - 'Quadra'
5 ft shrub with deep red flowers fading to light red and 55 petals - 'Royal Edward'
Medium pink to pale pink flowers on a 1.5 ft shrub - 'Simon Fraser'
Medium pink flowers with 22 petals on a 2 ft shrub - 'William Baffin'
Flowers are medium red, slightly fragrant, 20 petals, on a 8-10 ft shrub - 'William Booth'
Medium red to light red flowers with 5 petals on a 5 ft shrub
- 'Alexander MacKenzie'
- 'Alexander MacKenzie', 'Captain Samuel Holland', 'Champlain', 'Charles Albanel', 'David Thompson', 'De Montarville', 'Frontenac', 'George Vancouver', 'Henry Hudson', 'Henry Kelsey', 'Jens Munk', 'John Cabot', 'John Davis', 'John Franklin', 'J. P. Connell', 'Lambert Closse', 'Louis Jolliet', 'Marie-Victorin', 'Martin Frobisher', 'Nicolas', 'Quadra', 'Royal Edward', 'Simon Fraser', 'William Baffin', 'William Booth'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Rosa
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Stem Cutting
- Wildlife Value:
- Bees are attracted to the blooms. Birds will eat the rose hips
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Edibility:
- Organically grown rose petals are edible as are the hips.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 6 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Rose
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Climbing
- Erect
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
- Appendage:
- Prickles
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Orange
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Most of them produce small rose hips
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
- Good Dried
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Saucer
- Flower Petals:
- more than 20 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Semi-double blooms to double flowers in clusters. Blooms in spring and repeat blooms throughout the season. Colors are red, pink, peach yellow and white and most have a mild scent.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Glossy green compound leaves with serrated margins.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Green stem with prickles
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Patio
- Walkways
- Landscape Theme:
- Cottage Garden
- Cutting Garden
- English Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Border
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Diseases
- Problems:
- Spines/Thorns
