The Mayflower
Best low-maintenance shrub for gardeners seeking reliable, season-long floral fragrance.
The Mayflower® rose, an English Shrub Rose from David Austin Roses, offers exceptional hardiness and continuous blooms from late spring to early winter. Its mid-pink, medium-sized flowers exude a classic Old Rose style and a delightful medium-strong fragrance. This tough, upright, and bushy shrub is named in honor of the Pilgrims’ ship, providing reliable beauty and consistent performance for various garden settings. It's a robust choice for adding enduring color and fragrance to your landscape, thriving in zones 4-11.
$40.00
Owner Satisfaction
4.7
/ 5
Category Rank
34
/ 2598
#34 in Bushes & Shrubs
Price vs Category Average
+2%
Above average
Colour
Mid pink
/ Mid pink
Who it's for
- Novice gardeners seeking low-maintenance, healthy rose varieties
- Fragrance lovers prioritizing classic, powerful floral scents
- Gardeners wanting early, consistent color throughout the season
Who should skip it
- Gardeners who dislike handling sharp, densely thorny stems
- Collectors seeking perfectly structured, deep cupped bloom shapes
- Designers looking for unique or complex color variations
Performance breakdown
Hardiness and Resilience
Exceptional cold tolerance makes this a reliable performer in diverse climates.
Bloom Consistency
Continuous flowering from late spring through winter ensures constant garden color.
Fragrance Profile
Classic Old Rose scent provides a sophisticated, medium-strong aromatic presence.
Disease Resistance
Robust health profile minimizes the need for intensive maintenance or intervention.
Growth Habit
Upright and bushy structure creates a tidy, manageable silhouette for landscapes.
Visual Impact
High petal count and elevated bloom placement maximize aesthetic appeal.
Key Specs
Colour
Mid pink
Flowering
Repeat Flowering
Fragrance
Medium-strong, Old Rose
Bloom Size
Medium (2-3.5")
Family
English Shrub Rose
Size
Medium Shrub
Height
4.5 feet
Width
3.5 feet
Features
- Exceptional health and hardiness
- Repeat flowering season-long
- Classic Old Rose bloom style
- Medium-strong Old Rose fragrance
- Upright, bushy growth habit
- Excellent overall health performance
- Blooms held attractively above foliage
What customers say
Reviewers consistently praise 'The Mayflower' for its exceptional reliability and powerful Old Rose fragrance, marking it as a classic English Rose. Gardeners value its outstanding vigor and continuous repeat flowering, delivering deep pink, cupped blooms from summer until frost. A key highlight is its robust health and superior disease resistance, making it a low maintenance choice even for newer rose enthusiasts. The consensus confirms this variety successfully delivers on the core promises of consistent beauty, strong scent, and dependable performance across various climates. It is highly recommended as a foundational, continuously blooming rose.
Know before you buy
The Mayflower is a repeat-flowering shrub, meaning it will provide consistent blooms from late spring all the way through to early winter.
This variety features a medium-strong, classic Old Rose fragrance, offering a traditional, sweet scent that is characteristic of many English Shrub Roses.
Yes, this rose is exceptionally hardy and is suitable for USDA zones 4 through 11, making it a reliable choice for a wide range of climates.
At maturity, this shrub typically reaches a height of 4.5 feet and a width of 3.5 feet, so plan for a footprint of roughly 3.5 to 4 feet in diameter.
The Mayflower is versatile and performs well in full sun, partial sun, or partial shade, though it will produce the most blooms when given plenty of sunlight.
Like most roses, The Mayflower thrives in well-drained soil. Ensure your planting site has good drainage to maintain the plant's overall health and vigor.
Still have a question?
Ask Hayley anything about this product before you decide.
Ready to buy?
$40