Marilyn Monroe rose
Dean Baker_Author

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Dean Baker

The Puttering Rosarian

Marilyn Monroe

To love Marilyn Monroe, you’d better be comfortable with her thorniness. This rose has big thorns that will rip your shirt or arms when you get too close. Still, I love her.

Because of a grower’s error, I was forced to replace my Marilyn Monroe rose this year. I had the plant too close to the walking area, and my efforts to control its growth made it ugly. Northland Rosarium provided me with a replacement, and I have the rose conspicuously displayed. Yet, it is far away enough from the walking path that I only get jabbed when I need to remove some spent blooms.

Marilyn Monroe is a vigorous grower and solid repeat bloomer who produces apricot flowers that are generally high-centered. It’s a beautiful rose.