Prosperity Shrub Roses

Prosperity Rose

Prosperity is a delightful shrub rose that's proved hugely popular since it was introduced in the 1870s. The flowers are gorgeous for a start – pretty, semi double affairs in a lovely ivory, blushed rich cream at the centre, with a little hit of strawberry cream at the centre of the buds. The scent is heady. The way the flowers are held on the plant is a dream, in prolific clusters on strong upright trusses, the stems a rich glossy plum-mahogany colour, a handsome contrast with the ivory buds and deep green glossy leaves, and ever so elegant. For something smaller, or if you're after a climber, rambler or a rose in pink, yellow, red or orange, have a look at the rest of our shrub roses for sale.

Prosperous partners

First up, Prosperity is a wonderful contender for a hedge. And a sizeable one at that. It's a vigorous grower and will make a spectacular flowering boundary, up to nearly 2m in height, and one that will shelter and provide sustenance for all manner of helpful wildlife, such as birds, insects and invertebrates. I wouldn't grow Prosperity in a pot, however, as larger shrub roses quickly drain the soil of available nutrients. In a rose border it will look amazing, a froth of ivory flowers all summer long; enclose a mass planting within a low clipped box or Japanese holly hedge and those crisp white blooms and vigorous habit will be beautifully offset by the fresh greens and clean lines of the evergreens. It's an RHS AGM winner, so you're pretty much guaranteed a good grower, as long as you keep Prosperity well watered and grow in good, rich soil, mulching with manure or garden compost once or twice a year.

Features of Prosperity

• Height: to 1.8m
• Spread: to 1.2m
• Colour: creamy white with pale cream centres
• Shape of flower: semi-double, ruffled
• Size of flower: small-medium
• Scent: strongly scented
• Flowering: repeat through summer
• Group: shrub rose
• RHS Award of Garden Merit

From Essex with love

Prosperity was created by Joseph Pemberton, a clergyman and amateur rose grower, in the late 1800s. It's one of a group of 'hybrid musk' roses, highly scented and cluster flowered, that he bred in his Essex garden in an attempt to recreate the 'grandmother's roses' he remembered from his childhood.