Sun/part shade; semi-evergreen with crimson flowers. Since the quarter-sized flowers are flat-faced, they cover the surface of the plant during the growing season. The foliage has a distinct reddish tinge. It is fairly small in stature and not heavily armed, but bears enough thorns to protect itself from pedestrians; it has been successfully used to direct foot traffic in downtown San Antonio.
Martha Gonzales is a classic old-fashioned rose named after the woman in whose garden it was found growing in Navasota, Texas in 1984.
‘Martha Gonzalez’ is pretty carefree, and too much maintenance misses the point. But water consistently in summer, and — if the center of the bush gets too crowded — remove weak, old or woody canes and cut back lateral shoots by one-third, around February.
