Different flowers on one rose plant

[Confusedandshaken]

I planted a climbing rose a few years ago to grow up through an old evergreen tree. It had orange double blooms.

Over the years it hasn't flowered much although the stems have scrambled up through the tree as I wanted. This year it has started to bloom but instead of the original double style, orange flowers it has clusters of single white flowers with orange stamens. There are a very few of the original double orange flowers at the base of the plant still but all the ones that have grown above head height are the plainer ones.

I wasn't what I planned but it's very pretty and has done the intended job of brightening up a very dull tree in a shady corner of the garden but I just wondered why the flowers are so different?

Sounds to me like the new flowers are coming from suckers that have grown below the graft line at the base of the plant. All variety roses are grafted onto strong wild rootstocks and occasionally those throw out branches. They tend to be much more vigorous and sap the strength from the variety that you want and the only thing to do is cut the unwanted growth out completely at the base.

Don’t you feel sorry for the original wild plant?

That happened to me. I planted a bare root variety of rose a few years ago, cannot remember which. From the very first year it flowered with small pale pink single open roses that are a wild rose and it has grown very big. the perfume is amazing and it looks lovely so I didn't mind at all. But it's definitely not the one it said it was on the label

@GreatBigBird

Don’t you feel sorry for the original wild plant?

Why feel sorry for it? It's winning the evolutionary battle. Survival of the fittest is happening in my front garden!

Thank you everyone who has answered. Very helpful.

This has happened to me too! Or rather, in my new garden. There’s a tree bearing single white roses and to the right, coming out of the same base, a sad and brave stem bearing salmon pink hybrid teas. I like them both and rather admire the variety for hanging on so I’m not sure what to do

@Chocolatier9a

This has happened to me too! Or rather, in my new garden. There’s a tree bearing single white roses and to the right, coming out of the same base, a sad and brave stem bearing salmon pink hybrid teas. I like them both and rather admire the variety for hanging on so I’m not sure what to do

The rootstock will win in the end left to it’s own devices. I would try to get a replacement for the HT. Or start a few cuttings

Thank you for the advice - I’m learning so much from this corner of Mumsnet.

I’ve never taken rose cuttings before - this is a good opportunity to try (I hope I don’t hasten the poor HT’s end)!