Love to grow and care for roses? Elevate your plant collection with an Austrian Briar!
Like many wild roses, Rosa Foetida, or commonly known as Austrian Briar, dates back well into Medieval times. This delicate rose was first described in 1590 when it was introduced to Europe from Persia. People were quite amazed by it because it was yellow, a color that wasn’t yet known in roses. From then, Rosa Foetida became a valuable addition to the cultivation of roses. Austrian Briar became a valued flower when its cultivator Carolus Clusius introduced it to the imperial garden of Rudolf II in Vienna.
Rose foetida is a species of shrub that produces rich golden-yellow flowers in early summer. It can fill any garden with color and life as it is really attractive to bees, butterflies, and various birds. It is the source of today’s most popular yellow rose hybrids, such as Soleil d’Or.
The term “foetida” comes from Latin, and it means fetid or “having a bad smell.” Some people find Rosa Foetida’s scent objectionable. However, don’t worry! The fragrance of Austrian Briar is rather unusual or strong and not bad at all.
Ready to learn more about growing and caring for Austrian Briar? Keep reading below!
About Austrian Briar
- Austrian Briar belongs to the family of Rosaceae, and it is native to the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia.
- The botanical name of Austrian Briar is Rosa Foetida. It has several common names, including Persian Yellow Rose and Austrian Copper Rose.
- When provided with its ideal growing conditions, this lovely garden rose can live up to 20 years.
- Austrian Briar looks great in any garden thanks to its spectacular flowers!
- When it comes to its landscaping attributes, it is a perfect match for accent, mass planting, hedges and screening, and general garden use.
- So, whether you need a beautiful focal point in your outdoor space or want to fill your garden with color, planting Austrian Briar is an excellent choice.
- Since it has a very long history of cultivation, Austrian Briar has somehow adapted to various growing conditions. However, there are a few basic requirements it has to grow healthy and happy. As long as you provide it with what it needs, it will grow into a spectacular and majestic small tree of roses.
- Rosa Foetida is really sun-loving. This shrub prefers to grow in spots where it gets full sun. So, make sure to provide your Austrian Briar with as much sunlight as possible to enjoy its beautiful golden flowers.
- Despite loving the sun, the Austrian Briar is a winter-hardy shrub, meaning that it can survive pretty low temperatures. More precisely, in USDA Zone 4a, it can survive temperatures as low as – 20 °F (-28.8 °C). However, it is best to protect it from very cold temperatures.
- It is best to grow this shrub in normal to moist soil. However, make sure that you provide it with well-draining soil because, in general, wild multiflora roses are very sensitive to root rot.
- The spines and hips of Austrian Briar are considered poisonous and toxic. So, it’s best to place it in a spot in your garden where your kids or pets can’t reach them.
- One of the most common problems of Austrian Briar is the black spot disease. Black spot is the most serious disease of roses, being caused by a fungus called Diplocarpon rosae. This disease infects the leaves of the plant, significantly reducing its vigor. To remove black spot disease, you need to pick up and destroy any stems with black spots.
Austrian Briar Features: An Overview
- Austrian Briar is an upright vigorous rose shrub with a bushy appearance, reaching up to 5-10 feet (1,52-3 m) in height and 48-60 inches (1,21- 1,52 m) in width.
- It features dark green foliage throughout summer.
- At the ends of its branches, in late spring and early summer, Austrian Briar produces spectacular fragrant yellow flowers that are excellent for cutting.
Growing Austrian Briar
If you’ve grown roses before in your garden, you shouldn’t be intimidated by growing Austrian Briar as well. Yet, even if you are a novice rose grower, caring for Austrian Briar shouldn’t give you ]a hard time. All that it takes for your Rosa Foetida to thrive is paying attention to its basic growing needs and providing it with water, light, nutrients, and plenty of love. In return, this shrub will repay you with its spectacular blooms in early summer and will become an elegant focal point in your garden.
First, make sure you consider Austrian Briar’s lighting requirements. As we’ve shared above, this shrub is sun-loving and needs direct sunlight all day long to grow healthy and to produce its lovely flowers. So, we recommend finding the sunniest spot in your garden to plant it.
Austrian briar shrubs need to be fertilized every few years to grow healthy and happy and to produce nice blooms. You can test your soil to check the existing nutrient levels in your garden. This will help you understand what you need to add to ensure that your shrubs thrive. You can also use an all-purpose fertilizer to help your Austrian Briar benefit from extra nutrients.
We recommend avoiding fertilizing your Austrian Briar late in the growing season. This is because the fertilizer may encourage growth, and the plant might not have enough time to harden off before the cold weather arrives.
When it comes to pruning, keep in mind that this garden rose needs regular care and upkeep. So, make sure you remove old, damaged, or dead wood to increase airflow and to allow room for new growth to increase flower production. We recommend pruning immediately after the shrub finishes blooming.
How to Plant Austrian Briar
If you have decided to fill your garden with Austrian Briar’s golden flowers, it is time to learn how to plant this garden rose. Don’t worry! It is not that difficult. All you have to do is to keep a few important aspects in mind.
First, make sure to remember that this shrub needs a lot of sunlight to thrive. So, pick a spot in your garden where your Austrian Briar gets full, direct sun for at least 6 hours every day.
Next, remember that this garden rose can’t survive temperatures lower than – 20 °F (-28.8 °C). So, if your area’s climate tends to get colder than that during the winter, you may want to reconsider your decision to grow an Austrian Briar in your garden.
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- FAST-GROWING & BEGINNER-FRIENDLY MOSS ROSE SEEDS – Known for easy germination, these moss rose seeds are a top pick for beginners, sprouting reliably in warm temperatures of 70-85°F (21-29°C). Portulaca grandiflora seeds produce hardy plants that begin flowering within 8-10 weeks of sowing, adding quick color and fullness to your garden.
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- 【Climbing Rose Seeds】Rose is a perennial shrub of the Rosaceae family
- 【Sowing method】The seeds can be soaked in warm water of 40-50℃ for 4-6 hours, then the seeds are sown into loose potting soil, and they can be patiently waited for 20 days before their seeds take root and germinate
- 【Planting】To ensure the development of the root system, the first bud must be broken first. Potted plants with seedlings need to be placed in a quiet and bright place, but avoid sun exposure and gradually increase the time in the open air
- 【Moisture and Soil】Water moderately, but too much water will cause the seedlings to die. Nutritious soil is good for rose growth
- 【Light】In order to protect the seedlings from black legs, it is necessary to provide the sprouts with good sunlight for 10 hours
- Planting: Soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours, then stratify them to mimic winter conditions, aiding germination. Scatter the treated seeds evenly on well-draining seedling mix, cover with a thin layer of soil, and keep moist.
- Care: During their seedling stage, place them in a bright location away from direct harsh sunlight. Keep the soil consistently moist but avoid waterlogging.
- Garden Decoration: The exotic roses you cultivate are ideal for creating a visual focal point. Their unique colors and flower forms will bring a distinctive international flair to your garden, patio, or balcony.
- Use: Beyond their beauty, the petals of exotic roses are suitable for dried floral arrangements. Their unique forms can inspire your creative projects.
Last update on 2025-08-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Besides that, also keep in mind that, like all roses, Austrian Briar needs well-draining soil as it is susceptible to root rot if overwatered. This shrub thrives in moderately moist soil, but make sure to provide it with soil that ensures proper draining.
Another vital thing to keep in mind is to choose a spot in your garden where your kids and pets can’t reach without your supervision. As mentioned above, the spines and hips of this rose are toxic, so you need to protect your kids and furry friends from them.
Before planting your rose garden, soak bare its roots in water for a couple of hours to ensure that they are well hydrated.
Watering Austrian Briar
When it comes to watering your Austrian Briar, there are two very important conditions to keep in mind: moist and well-drained. That’s what your Austrian Briar needs to grow healthy and happy.
Moist and well-drained means exactly what it sounds like. This garden rose prefers to grow in moist soil that is not soggy. Also, this shrub needs its soil to allow good drainage to prevent root rot if you overwater the plant. The key to watering an Austrian Briar is to water it deeply and less frequently so that its roots sit in moist soil, but root rot doesn’t develop.
How often you’ll have to water this shrub highly depends on the climate in your area. For example, if you live in a hotter climate, you may have to water it every few days during the hot season to keep its soil moist.
Propagating Austrian Briar
If you want more Austrian Briar shrubs in your garden, we have some great news: there are multiple ways to propagate this spectacular garden rose.
Austrian Briar can be propagated by budding in summer months, via hardwood cuttings in autumn, and via grafting, which is the way hybrids are often propagated. It can also be propagated by bulbs, including offsets.
In Conclusion
Growing an Austrian Briar in your outdoor space is going to be a joy. This lovely garden rose will repay your efforts to care for it with spectacular yellow-golden flowers and by attracting several winged beauties in your garden.
Although some growers believe that this shrub can be a bit temperamental when it comes to garden conditions, if your area provides the right climate and you care for it according to its needs, this shrub will make a wonderful focal point in your yard.
Austrian Briar’s flowers in early summer are going to make your garden look like a royal’s outdoor space!
What type of roses do you have in your garden? Let us know in the comments below!
