Cinco de Mayo can be grown as a container plant in the landscape. (Photo by Allen Owings, LSU AgCenter) Cinco de Mayo has unique smoky lavender to rust-orangy red blooms. (Photo by Allen Owings, LSU AgCenter) (01/27/16) HAMMOND, La. – Because rose growers and enthusiasts surveyed in Louisiana and Mississippi have been impressed with the great landscape performance of Cinco de Mayo, the Gulf District of the American Rose Society has named the variety as the 2016 Gulf District Rose of the Year.
“Cinco de Mayo is an outstanding floribunda rose that has done well in southern United States trials since its 2009 introduction from Weeks Roses and is an All-America Rose Selections winner,” said LSU AgCenter horticulturist Allen Owings.
Cinco de Mayo flowers have 25 petals, are 3-3 1/2 inches in diameter and are slightly fragrant with the scent of cut apples. “The uniqueness of Cinco de May is the bloom color – described as smoky lavender to a blend of rusty-orangy red,” Owings said.
In the landscape, Cinco de Mayo is a slower grower. Mature height is 36-42 inches with an equal spread. Plants have a nice deep glossy green foliage appearance. Cinco de Mayo would work well blended into perennial flower beds.
Individual plants should be placed 3 feet apart in the landscape for best performance.
This low-maintenance rose does not want to be pampered, Owings said. Water it occasionally during dry weather the first year or two after planting. Once it is established, this rose, as with most tough landscape roses, rarely requires supplemental irrigation.
Cinco de Mayo also is adaptable to planting in a container.
“More problems with these roses are likely created by overwatering than by anything else,” Owings said. If extraordinarily dry weather does occur and irrigation is necessary, water deeply and thoroughly no more often than once a week.
Mulching roses with 2 or 3 inches of pine straw reduces maintenance by suppressing weed problems and conserving soil moisture.
Cinco de Mayo stays generally disease free in the landscape, and fungicides are normally not needed.
“You can spray spinosad or summer horticultural oil for most insect problems,” Owings said. “If blackspot becomes a problem due to rainfall or over-irrigation, spray with mancozeb followed by a fungicide containing the systemic fungicide propiconazole. Be sure roses are planted in full sun to lessen disease problems.”
Cinco de Mayo joins Belinda’s Dream, last year’s inaugural recipient in the list of American Rose Society Gulf District Rose of the Year winners.
Most independent retail garden centers in the region carry Cinco de Mayo.
Rick Bogren