Sharon’s Delight rose is one in a long line of single roses that inhabit our landscapes and gardens. Unfortunately, there are better options in single roses.
Fully double old roses are beautiful in the garden, but many of the high-centered Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, and Floribunda roses are stiff. The single roses, of which there are many, offer so much to the discerning gardener.
Double, semi-double, and single roses
The number of petals per rose bloom is important because the number of petals will determine the overall look of the flower. Single roses have 4-8 petals; many species roses are single. Sharon’s Delight is an example of a hybridized single rose. Semi-double roses bear 9-17 petals and are informal both in the vase and in the garden. Fully double roses can have over 50 petals. Florists roses, David Austin roses, many old roses, Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, and many Floribundas are fully double.
Sharon’s Delight rose requires protection from cold and can be susceptible to blackspot.
Sharon’s Delight was bred by Ralph S. Moore and introduced in 1996. Parents are Golden Angel and Safrano. Safrano is a tea rose from 1839 and is considered a double…somewhat ironic to me considering Sharon’s Delight is single. Safrano is notable for being the first successful hybridization by hand pollination. Safrano is a compact, tidy shrub and Sharon’s Delight has inherited this habit. Height is to three feet.
Hardiness is zone 6b and warmer. Fragrance is mild, and individual roses measure to 3″ across. Sharon’s Delight flowers in spring with repeat later in season. Sources online report good disease resistance but with roses this is always a relative statement, highly influenced by the amount of spraying the reporting source conducts. From personal experiences (I spray none at all) and evidence provided by gardeners I trust, it seems that Sharon’s Delight is not so disease resistant after all.
Here we have a rose of suspicious hardiness and disease resistance, with not much fragrance. If you have space in your garden and love single roses, then by all means give Sharon’s Delight a try.