Need a thornless climbing rose identified. This rose is a cutting from a cutting from a bush that is over 100 years old from an atebellum home in south LA. Oldtimes referred to it is as 'seven sisters'

another picture

It might be something like Zepharine Dauphine, can't remember the spelling. My died over the winter after many years in the garden - nice smell, blooms on and off all summer.

That would be spelled Zepherine Drouhin. I have one and love the scent. mine well have a huge flush of blooms in the spring....oh my gosh it was gorgeous this year. Then seems like aft it has bloomed it starts getting black spot...BADLY. To the point that up to 2/3 of the leave fall off. But it just puts out more leaves (I don't spray) and keeps going. It occasionally puts out another flush of blooms, but its not like the spring one at all. You might look it up online and see if that is what you have. Have seen the hammers take a taste of it, but not much. Howev the birds all love it, taking shelter in it all winter. Doesnt start blooming it's best until it is at least 3 years old.
Del

Pappy2, is your rose a repeat bloomer or a one time bloomer? I had Seven Sisters for quite a few years, it only bloomed once a year, but what a flush it was! Mine was not what I would call fragrant, not too many thorns, but they were wicked hooks that always managed to catch my jeans or hair as I was pruning it! I lost it during a very cold winter. If you want that rose identified, let us see a close up of the blooms and the leaflets and stems, or better yet, post on the Antique Rose Forum on the Garden Web, that's where the experts might be able to id it for you.

I also had Zephrine Drouhin, it was repeat blooming, fragrant, but like all Bourbon roses I have tried to grow, susceptible to blackspot and had to be shovel pruned.


Ruth
Everett, WA
Zone 8

I googled the name "Zepherine Drouhin" and the bush I have does not smell, unless I put my nose right in a cluster, and then just a hint of sweet. Also the blooms on my bush are a cluster of 6 to 10 small one inch roses on one stem. I think one of the pictures above shows that. It is covered with blooms in spring, maybe here and there during the summer, and lite blooming in the fall. Absolutely no thorns. Attached picture shows rose on fence, second year after starting from a cutting.