Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

Joseph's Coat

Rosa (RO-zuh)

Family: Rosaceae Unknown Vine (vertical)

Joseph's Coat is a vigorous hybrid climbing rose in the rose family (Rosaceae) bred by David L. Armstrong and introduced in 1964. Parentage is Buccaneer x Circus. This climber will grow 8-12 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide and prefers moist well-drained loamy soils but will tolerate poorer soils in full sun. During the first 2-3 seasons, only removed dead or damaged canes. After that, it can be cut back by 1/3rd each year to prevent legginess. Fertilize in spring and summer. Mulch to help retain moisture. The shrub has green glossy leaves and is quite prickly. The multi-colored fragrant flowers begin in spring and will rebloom in flushes throughout the season. Deadheading helps speed up the process. Use Joseph's coat on a trellis, fence arbor or other vertical space. Good for a cutting, English or cottage garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to blackspot, mildew and rust. See pests of roses to the left. More information on Rosa .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 50 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 6 - Vine (vertical) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Rosa 'Belle de Baltimore' Rosa 'Don Juan' Rosa 'Red Fountain'
Native alternatives Ampelaster carolinianus Gelsemium sempervirens Lonicera sempervirens

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Rose
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Compound, glossy dark green leaves
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Pink; Red/Burgundy; Variegated
Flower value
Fragrant; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
4-inch multicolored, semi-double blooms in red, pink, yellow, orange, blossoming in large clusters with a slight fragrance. 26-45 petals and cardinal red flower buds.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Green stems with many prickles
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Vertical Spaces
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden; English Garden
Design feature
Hedge; Screen/Privacy; Specimen
Garden tags
#long bloom time #hardy #showy flowers #deciduous #multicolored #rose #fragrant flowers #full sun tolerant #cutting garden #fence #trellis #climbing rose #arbor #prickles #climber
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Rose; Pests of Rose
Problems
Spines/Thorns
Propagation
Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.