Clash of the Titans: Mutabilis vs. Flowering Pear

One wouldn’t normally think of the pretty Mutabilis rose (Rosa x odorata ‘Mutabilis’), commonly known as the “butterfly rose,” as a titan.  But seeing it go up against my flowering pear, which should be shading the Mutabilis out of existence, makes me think otherwise.

The Mutabilis rose is a beautiful China rose with single flowers that bloom nearly continuously from spring to fall.  Each flower goes through a color change from yellow-gold to pink to crimson, and all three color phases will be on display at the same time.  It is nicknamed the “butterfly rose” because the multi-colored flowers look like butterflies resting on the plant.  It is most often described on rose websites as a large shrub, ranging from 6-10 feet tall, although some websites also describe the rose as a climber.  Mutablis is one of UC Davis’s Arboretum All-Stars, requiring low water once established.

Several years ago, I planted my Mutablis along a back fence, underneath a sapling flowering pear (Pyrus calleryana, ‘Chanticleer’).  I assumed that as the pear tree grew, it would eventually shade out the rose, but I had no place else to put the rose at the time.  Now the fully grown pear tree completely shades the main body of Mutabilis and the rose has responded by climbing ever higher into the pear to seek the sun, putting on a dazzling show of butterfly flowers a good 25 feet up the tree.  It’s spectacular!

Each spring I wonder how and whether to prune Mutablis, and in some years, I make a token effort to clear away dead and crossed limbs.  There’s little point in pruning the rose back to shrub size because it would be entirely shaded by the pear tree.  I wonder if the rose is harming the pear tree and whether I should cut the rose down entirely.  But the rose doesn’t appear to be too heavy to be supported by the pear tree’s limbs and both plants seem happy and healthy.  So I set any decision aside for one more year. 

I never imagined that, when I planted Mutabilis in a spot that I knew would eventually become too shady, this foolish but serendipitous placement would create one of my very favorite scenes in my backyard.

Mutabilis growing in the dormant pear trees. (photos by Erin Mahaney)

Mutabilis rose in bloom within the pear trees.

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