Canadian Explorer Rose, William Baffin

A Perfect Repeat-Flowering Climber for Cold Climates

Aug 12, 2009 Lorraine Syratt

Gardeners in northern climates can have a very hardy climbing rose that doesn't need winter protection. The William Baffin Explorer Rose is the perfect choice.

The William Baffin climber is the only rose in the Explorer series developed in Manitoba, Canada at the Morden Research Station. All the Explorer roses were designed to be disease-resistant and to survive northern climates. They are hardy to garden zone 3. But it will also flourish in Zone 9 where it can get very tall.

The Northern Heights of William Baffin

William Baffin is actually a large shrub spreading to about 5' wide, but lends itself well to climbing and is most often used as such. Nursery catalogs agree that it will grow 8' to 10', but it has been known to surpass that height in many gardens and with good soil and garden culture it can reach 12' or higher.

William Baffin Characteristics

William Baffin is a a vigorous climbing rose and can send out long very thorny canes of 4' in length or more in one season. The foliage is bright green and glossy. The rose flower itself is double-flowered and a bright shade of pink with white centers and golden yellow stamens.

The fragrance is slight, but it offers the gardener a wonderful first show with sporadic repeats throughout the season. It blooms in clusters, often with up to 20 flowers in each cluster.

Planting and Maintenance of the William Baffin Rose

Plant the rose in the fall for the best results. This is best for any rose. It gives the plant a chance to establish a strong root system, rather than using energy in the production of leaves and flowers. Most rosarians are strong believers in fall planting for roses.

Plant in full sun or partial shade. Roses need well-drained soil and a shovel load of peat moss and compost from the start won't do it any harm.

Remove the dead or old wood in spring before flowering. Fork in a little manure at the same time. After that, it is quite happy to be left alone. It doesn't like a lot of fuss and bother. This rose was created to be ignored. But like all roses, don't let the soil dry out completely. Roses are heavy drinkers.

Garden Design with William Baffin

This is a very thorny bush and can be used as a large hedge to keep animals or pedestrians from crossing lawns. With a large property, the affect as a hedge would be stunning in spring, but the abundance of bright pink flowers could also be hard on the eyes.

The gardener could break up the bright pinks with other roses in the Explorer series. While not considered a climber John Davis is medium pink in color and a slightly smaller height with similar characteristics. The paler pink will break up the one color monotony of the rose hedge.

This rose can be grown on its own as an upright, a slightly arching specimen in the lawn or used as an impenetrable hedge. It is beautiful tied in to a white picket fence and a great choice for training up a trellis or arbor.

This rose and all roses in the Explorer series are perfect roses to grow in climates where roses won't normally thrive.

References

Online

Lise Klose and Laura Peters, Roses for Ontario, Lone Pine Publishing, 2003, pg.178

The copyright of the article Canadian Explorer Rose, William Baffin in Flower Gardens is owned by Lorraine Syratt. Permission to republish Canadian Explorer Rose, William Baffin in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.