Scarborough Fair
Best low-maintenance shrub for gardeners seeking continuous, fragrant pink blooms.
The Scarborough Fair rose, an English Shrub Rose from David Austin, offers surprising resilience with its delicate appearance. It is exceptionally floriferous, producing large sprays of soft pink, semi-double blooms with a lovely musky Old Rose fragrance. This variety forms a bushy, upright shrub, noted for its overall health and abundant flowering. Named after the famous folk song, this reliable plant is suitable for various light conditions and soil types, making it a dependable addition to any garden border.
$40.00
Owner Satisfaction
4.6
/ 5
Category Rank
858
/ 2598
#858 in Bushes & Shrubs
Price vs Category Average
+2%
Above average
Colour
Light pink
/ Light pink
Who it's for
- Busy gardeners wanting low-maintenance, healthy plants
- Homeowners seeking continuous color throughout the season
- Urban gardeners with limited space or container setups
Who should skip it
- Fragrance enthusiasts expecting the classic, heavy English rose scent
- Traditionalists preferring the dense, multi-petaled look of classic roses
- Gardeners in hot climates wanting long-lasting, vibrant color
Performance breakdown
Bloom Density
Exceptionally floriferous habit ensures a constant display of soft pink sprays.
Disease Resistance
Robust constitution keeps the foliage healthy throughout the growing season.
Fragrance Intensity
Delivers a classic musky Old Rose scent without overwhelming the garden.
Environmental Adaptability
Thrives across a wide range of zones and varying light conditions.
Pollinator Appeal
Open, semi-double blooms provide easy access for visiting bees.
Growth Habit
Upright, bushy form maintains a tidy structure in garden borders.
Key Specs
Colour
Light pink
Bloom Size
Medium (2-3.5")
Petal Count
20 petals
Fragrance
Medium, Old Rose
Size
Medium Shrub (Height: 3 1/2ft x Width: 3ft)
Breeder
David Austin
Year of Introduction
2003
Suitable for zones
Zones 5-11
Features
- Extremely floriferous blooming habit
- Soft pink, semi-double flowers
- Musky Old Rose scent
- Bushy, upright shrub form
- Very tough and healthy
- Repeat flowering capability
- Attracts bees to the garden
What customers say
Gardeners highly value the 'Scarborough Fair' rose for its exceptional reliability and robust health within the English Rose collection. It is celebrated for superior disease resistance, making it a low maintenance performer. This variety offers a prolific and continuous blooming habit, providing a steady supply of clear, medium pink, semi-double flowers throughout the season. Its tidy, versatile shrub size suits many garden spaces. While its performance and consistent color are top tier, the primary point of note is its fragrance, which is light and pleasant rather than intensely powerful. For those prioritizing dependable flowering and vigor over strong scent, this rose is considered an indispensable and trustworthy garden workhorse.
Know before you buy
This variety is repeat-flowering, meaning it will produce multiple flushes of blooms from summer through the end of the season rather than just once.
While it performs best in full sun, the Scarborough Fair is versatile and can tolerate partial sun or partial shade, making it a flexible choice for different spots in your garden.
Since this shrub reaches a mature size of approximately 3.5 feet in height and 3 feet in width, you should space them at least 3 feet apart to ensure adequate airflow and room for growth.
No, the Scarborough Fair is noted for being exceptionally tough and healthy. It is a reliable shrub that does not require intensive care to maintain its vigor.
Yes, its semi-double blooms are quite attractive to bees, making it a beneficial choice if you are looking to support local pollinator populations.
The flowers offer a medium-strength, musky Old Rose scent that is classic and pleasant without being overpowering.
Still have a question?
Ask Hayley anything about this product before you decide.
Ready to buy?
$40