Caldwell Pink:
Earth Kind is an important designation given to select roses by the Texas A&M University Agriculture program. Earth Kind Roses have been through rigorous statewide testing and evaluation by a team of horticultural experts and found to possess the high level of landscape performance and outstanding disease and insect tolerance/ resistance required to for this special designation.

Earth Kind Roses are among the most thoroughly tested and environmentally responsible plants for the use in Texas landscapes. These roses do very well in almost any soil type, from the well-drained acid sands of East Texas to the poorly aerated, highly alkaline clays of central and Southwest Texas. Earth Kind roses are certainly not immune to pest problems. However, their tolerance to pests is so great that they rarely require the use of chemical pesticides.

‘Caldwell Pink’ is a “found” rose, made popular by Dr. William Welch who obtained it from a small nursery near Caldwell, Texas. The rose was a gift from a family in Sommerville, Texas who grow the rose for many years. Some rosarians speculate it might actually be ‘Pink Pet’. Since its reintroduction in the 1980’s, it has become a popular rose with landscapers for its hardiness, everblooming and disease resistant qualities.

Even though its origins are unclear, it is certain this is a wonderful rose with many great attributes. It blooms continuously from late spring through fall, bearing many clusters of double lilac-pink fl owers. What they lack in fragrance they more than make up with an abundance of flowers. This rose is grows into an attractive, full, small shrub, making it suitable for use in many landscape designs where full sun is available. The medium-green foliage remains disease-free throughout the growing season, thus requiring no sprays whatsoever. As a bonus, the foliage often turns reddish purple in the fall.

Landscape Uses:
Caldwell Pink can be used in many landscape designs where a small shrub is needed. Use it in drifts, masses, or as an accent. It is naturally compact, so it will show best when used near the front of a mixed border of shrubs and perennial fl owers. Its bright, lilac-pink flowers bloom in clusters, often producing 3 to 4 shoots bearing clusters of 20 to 50 or more 1 ½ inch fl owers. Even though it does not set hips, new fl owering shoots can be stimulated throughout the year by removing spent fl ower stalks back to a leaf below the multiple fl owers stems.

Prepared by Keith Hansen, Smith County Extension Horticulturist

Join the Earth Kind Rose Brigade:
We invite you to become a member of the “Earth Kind Rose Brigade,” a group of dedicated amateurs helping to conduct advanced field testing of experimental rose selections. Your participation will be educational as well as valuable in providing information to the Earth Kind Team of Extension specialists and research scientists at Texas A&M University.

To participate, simply purchase and plant one or more of the Brigade roses then, at one, two, three, and four years after transplanting, provide the benefit of your growing experience.

These cultivars should be planted where they will receive at least 8 hours of direct sun each day with good air movement over the foliage. The use of compost and organic mulches is encouraged.

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