Night Owl is a hybrid floribunda rose in the rose family (Rosaceae) and was bred in the US by Tom Carruth and released by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower, Inc. in 2007. Parentage is [(International Herald Tribune x Crepin) x (Sweet Chariot x Blue Nile)] x Rosy Outlook. This shrub will reach 10-14 feet tall and 3-6 feet wide and grows well in full sun in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Mulch to retain moisture and prune in late winter to remove any old, diseased, damaged or crossed canes. The large 4" flowers of deep purple to red wine make for a showy appearance climbing an arbor, wall, fence or trellis in your garden. The compound gray-green leaves are on stems with a few prickles. Winner of the Gold Standard Rose 2011. The flowers attract bees, making this a welcome addition to a pollinator garden. It grows well in vertical space where it can be a specimen plant supported by an arbor or trellis. Use it near a patio or poolside to enjoy the fragrance or use it in a cottage or cutting garden to take advantage of the showy wine-colored blooms that appear from spring through fall. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Watch for spider mites, aphids, scale, caterpillars, and leafhoppers. Watch for mildew. black spot and rust. See pests of roses to the left. Deer will browse roses.
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.
Similar, less problematicWisteria frutescens 'Amethyst Falls'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Rose; Vine
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 14 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Erect; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Semi-glossy, gray-green foliage with 3-7 leaflets
Flower color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Fragrant; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
The fragrant single to semi-double 4" flowers 9-16 petals will bloom a dark purple or red wine color in clusters It will fade to white towards the center, where bright yellow stamens add to its beauty. Its buds are long and pointed. Blooms in flushes throughout the season.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Stem detail
Smooth nearly prickless stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Bees are attracted to the flowers.
Attracts
Bees
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Pool/Hardscape; Rock Wall; Vertical Spaces; Walkways
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Accent; Barrier; Border; Foundation Planting; Screen/Privacy; Specimen