Daddys Little Girl Miniature Rose Tree

Miniature roses are the top-pick rose variety for smaller spaces, if you want lots of color on a smaller bush. They make great edging, but the blooms are ‘down there’, while we are ‘up here’. If only they were taller, without being any wider. . . Well they can be – by attaching them to a strong trunk and lifting them a couple of extra feet into the air. So we had our skilled growers attach a top-notch variety of miniature rose onto such a stem, and the result is the fabulous Daddy’s Little Girl™ Miniature Rose Tree.

Daddy’s Little Girl rose bush itself is a rounded bush 12 to 18 inches tall and wide, with small neat leaves in exact proportion. They may be small, but the glossy deep-green leaves, with 5 lobes to them, are the perfect backdrop to the stunning blooms. Once mounted on its trunk the whole plant is 3 feet tall, and keeping its narrow width means it fits in almost anywhere, even in the smallest garden, and certainly into planters and pots, where it looks terrific. Yet it is tall enough for you to be able to easily appreciate the full beauty of the blooms.

Each blossom on Daddy’s Little Girl Miniature Rose Tree is a jewel, and the plant is constantly encrusted with them throughout the season, as they cluster at the ends of every stem, with new stems sprouting regularly from the dense crown of this little tree. The blooms are small but eye-catching. Each one is 1¼ to 1½ inches across, with a high pointed center. There are 20 to 25 petals in each one, with a dense, velvety texture. They are rich dark pink, with a hint of purple, and the back of each petal has a soft highlight of cream along its center, which lifts the color and creates a unique and charming look in this beautiful bloom. When new the bloom is high-centered, opening to a full blossom. When it matures the center opens, revealing a dense cluster of golden yellow stamens, which makes a stunning contrast with the purplish-pink of the blossoms.

Grow Daddy’s Little Girl Miniature Rose Tree in full sun, as shade will reduce the blossoming significantly. The ideal soil is well-drained but relatively heavy, with a clay content, rather than very sandy and light. Rich organic material like garden compost or well-rotted manure should be blended into the soil when planting, and also used as mulch each spring or fall. As can happen with all roses, some pests or diseases are possible, but this variety has good resistance to common rose diseases like powdery mildew, and simple pests like aphids can easily be dealt with by spraying with a solution of soapy water. If you are growing your rose in a planter box or container, make sure it has drainage holes and, if possible, add about one-third by volume of garden soil to a regular outdoor potting mix to create a soil blend to plant it in. This richer mixture will keep your rose growing for many years. Water planters whenever the top inch of soil has become dry.

For the best results, regular fertilizer should be used in planters, and also for plants growing in the garden. Liquid fertilizers are most effective for potted plants, and granular fertilizers work well in the garden. Use a product blended specifically for roses and apply as directed, from spring to late summer. In early spring, some light pruning will give the most blossoms in the year to come. Remove any weak or broken stems, and trim back the remaining branches by about one-third. Cut back to just above an outward-facing strong bud. Use a solid stake to support your tree for life, securing it to the trunk in at least two places, as well as attaching it up inside the branching crown area. If any shoots appear on the trunk or anywhere below the crown, remove them immediately, as they are not the correct rose, but a special variety used to make the strong stem and root system.

Daddy’s Little Girl Miniature Rose Tree is in a unique class of roses, unlike the typical garden rose, with its large blooms growing on a tall bush. Very different, miniature roses form compact, healthy bushes that bloom all summer, and are not ‘fussy’ the way many larger rose bushes are. The variety called Daddy’s Little Girl™ was created by Tom Carruth, a professional rose breeder at Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower, Inc. in Pomona, California. They specialize in gorgeous miniature roses of the highest quality. Tom Carruth began with a miniature rose variety called Santa Claus™ (‘POUlclaus’) which had originally been developed for Poulsen Roses in Denmark by Mogens Olesen. He crossed that variety with other seedlings and plants created from several other rose varieties, including the wild Rosa soulieana, ‘International Herald Tribune’, ‘Sweet Chariot’, and ‘Blue Nile’. This is typical of the complex inheritance of modern roses, that makes them so unique and special. This outstanding rose is highly sought-after, and it never remains in our stock long before being all sold. So order right away, and enjoy a beautiful rose that is easy to grow and full of charm.