Peggy Martin Rose named Louisiana Super Plant
Each year, the LSU AgCenter selects beautiful plants that grow particularly well in Louisiana climates. They’re called Louisiana Super Plants. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU Ag Center horticulturist Heather Kirk-Ballard introduces the spring 2023 Super Plant: the thornless Peggy Martin rose. She also explains why this plant has great meaning for our state.
———————————The LSU AgCenter is very excited to announce its 2023 spring Louisiana Super Plant, and it’s none other than our Peggy Martin rose. It’s also known as the Katrina rose because it survived being submerged underwater for several weeks. When the Louisiana resident Peggy Martin went back to her home, this was one of her roses that was still there. Now, it has been propagated by Dr. Welch, who was a Texas AgriLife horticulturist and a three-time graduate of LSU — and now this rose has become just a symbol of Louisiana and survivability, and it’s such a gorgeous Southern gem of a rose. Very easy care. Nothing much to it. Now, it is a rambling rose or a climbing rose, so you will need a structure in order for it to grow on. It blooms in the springtime, late winter, early spring, and we’re about to see this thing just flush out. Now, you can trim roses, and you want to trim roses, by Feb. 14 or somewhere within that time. We like to say around Valentine’s Day — and the spring is an excellent time to fertilize roses. Now, with Peggy Martin, we can fertilize again in the fall to encourage more blooms, and you can trim these after they’ve bloomed in the springtime if you need to remove any dead canes or any diseased canes. Now, these are easy care once they’re established. We don’t need a lot of water. Just remember we need a structure in order for it to grow on. It is a rambling rose and it’s our 2023 Spring Louisiana Super Plant, Peggy Martin Rose. For Get It Growing, I’m Heather Kirk-Ballard with the LSU AgCenter.
——————————–
For more information on this and other lawn and garden topics, contact your parish LSU AgCenter office or visit the LSU AgCenter website at www.lsuagcenter.com and click on the “Lawn and Garden” button. For the LSU AgCenter calendar, you can go to LSUAgCenter.com/onlinestore.
