MACBETH™ – deep crimson English rose - Austin
Step out to MACBETH™ and feel a mood of raindrops, soft light and old-world charm in your own front garden: this deeply romantic David Austin shrub rose brings luxury colour and fragrance to compact Irish spaces while coping well with our cool summers and frequent showers, even when soils are heavy and need good drainage. Large, rosette blooms in deep, velvety crimson appear in flushes, with a generous second flowering so your investment in this long-lived, own-root shrub keeps rewarding you year after year. With low routine maintenance needs and reassuring disease resistance, it suits beginners and busy owners who still want a richly perfumed English rose presence at the door. Plant, mulch, water, and let it quietly build roots in year one, graceful structure in year two and its full romantic impact by year three – a gentle, evolving journey for you and your garden.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Feature rose by the front door |
As a tall, upright shrub with dense foliage and large rosette blooms, MACBETH™ makes a dramatic welcome by a front path or doorway, giving strong vertical presence in a small space. Its very strong old-rose fragrance greets visitors and household members alike, creating a sense of occasion for every front-garden passer-by, especially the fragrance-loving urban homeowner you. |
| Romantic focal point in a cottage-style bed |
The deep crimson, velvety flowers with over 40 petals bring classic English romance to loose cottage-style borders, pairing beautifully with airy perennials and pale pastels. Its remontant habit with a plentiful second flush keeps colour returning through a short Irish summer, complementing an informal, “girly” cottage look that appeals to relaxed, nature-oriented gardeners like. |
| Low-effort shrub for busy family gardens |
MACBETH™ offers low maintenance with good resistance to black spot and powdery mildew, so there is less spraying and fuss for a busy household. Spent blooms may need occasional deadheading, but otherwise it generally thrives with simple mulching, feeding and watering, fitting well into a family routine that favours robust, reliable plants for time-pressed garden owners seeking. |
| Long-term structure in mixed borders |
This upright shrub reaches roughly 135–225 cm with a 90–150 cm spread, providing a solid backbone in a mixed planting. As an own-root rose it ages gracefully, with stable ornamental value and the ability to regenerate from the base if pruned harder after damage or neglect, reassuring long-range planners and homeowners who value durable plantings planning. |
| Specimen rose in a lawn or gravel area |
Planted as a solitary specimen at about 180 cm spacing, MACBETH™ stands out as a statuesque, dramatic presence with its dark green, slightly glossy foliage and opulent flower form. Over time, from the early rooting year through stronger second-year growth to full third-year ornament, it matures into a characterful “garden actor” that rewards patient, romantic-minded gardeners imagining. |
| Season-long colour near seating areas |
With large, very double, repeat-flowering blooms up to about 10 cm across, MACBETH™ gives sustained colour around patios or benches where you can sit and enjoy the scent. Regular deadheading encourages more flowers, while its generous second flush helps bridge the gap between early summer and autumn, appealing to those who want continuous ambience for relaxed outdoor moments enjoying. |
| Cut-flower source for scented indoor arrangements |
The strong stems and large, fully double rosette flowers make this rose ideal for cutting, bringing its rich, garden-filling old-rose perfume indoors. Deep crimson tones work beautifully in classic or dramatic bouquets, allowing you to harvest select stems without spoiling the shrub’s outline, a pleasure for home florists and fragrance connoisseurs who appreciate home-grown arrangements indoors. |
| Wind-sheltered hedge or backdrop planting |
Used in a loose hedge at about 100 cm spacing, MACBETH™ forms a dense, thorny, dark green wall that shows off its crimson blooms while offering some privacy and seasonal drama, and it responds well to shaping in Irish gardens that regularly face cool winds and frequent rain, suiting practical yet romantic householders planning resilient boundaries outdoors. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Romance – Underplant MACBETH™ with soft pink scabious and white verbena for a breezy, feminine cottage-bed look with repeat crimson blooms – ideal for cottage-style gardeners seeking effortless charm.
- Crimson-Drama – Use MACBETH™ as a tall focal shrub against a pale wall, with simple green groundcover, to spotlight its velvety flowers and strong fragrance – for design-conscious urban owners wanting maximum impact.
- Front-Door – Flank a path with two MACBETH™ shrubs, framed by low grasses, to create a scented, structured welcome that is easy to maintain – suited to busy families who still love a romantic entrance.
- Longevity-Mix – Combine MACBETH™ with hardy perennials and small shrubs for a mixed border that keeps structure for years, relying on its own-root resilience – perfect for homeowners planning a long-term garden.
- Cutting-Nook – Plant MACBETH™ near a shed or side path with space for access, letting you easily cut long stems for vases while keeping the shrub tidy – appealing to home florists who enjoy scented bouquets.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
MACBETH™ English Rose AUSlo, shrub rose from the English Rose Collection, registered cultivar name AUSlo, also known in exhibition under the name Othello in some rose society contexts. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by David C. H. Austin in the United Kingdom, introduced and registered in 1986, with parentage ‘Lilian Austin’ × ‘The Squire’, continuing the classic, romantic English shrub rose breeding line. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright shrub reaching about 135–225 cm high and 90–150 cm wide, densely thorned with dark green, slightly glossy foliage, forming a full-bodied, structural presence suitable for beds, hedging or specimen use. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, very double, rosette-form flowers, 7–10 cm across, typically borne singly, with more than 40 petals per bloom, and a remontant habit that provides a plentiful second flush of flowers after the main early summer display. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep crimson-red blooms with a velvety effect; ARS code DR, RHS 60A outer, 60B inner; newly opened flowers are rich crimson, later softening with purplish-mauve tints, especially in strong sun, yet retaining a romantic, dark overall tone. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Powerful, garden-filling old-rose fragrance with a full, classic character typical of English roses, making it especially suitable near paths, doors and seating where the perfume can be fully appreciated over multiple flowering flushes. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally limited due to the very double flower form, though occasional ovoid orange-red hips, about 9–15 mm in diameter, may develop if some spent blooms are left uncut after flowering late in the season. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Good general disease resistance, rated resistant to powdery mildew and black spot, moderate to rust; hardy to around −26 to −23 °C (H7, USDA 5b), but dislikes prolonged heat or drought and benefits from regular watering. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Prefers a sunny site with well-drained soil; spacing 110 cm in mass plantings, 100 cm in hedges, 180 cm as a specimen; best in open ground but can grow in large containers of at least 40–50 litres with attentive watering and feeding. |
MACBETH™ English Rose AUSlo offers rich repeat-flowering crimson blooms, a powerful old-rose fragrance and enduring own-root resilience; a thoughtful choice if you would like a romantic yet undemanding shrub rose.
