That is a very sobering thought. What a sad world it would be without roses.

There already are roses that are drought tolerant. I grow antique roses, also known as cemetery roses because the parent plants survived untended in old cemeteries long after the graves were overgrown and forgotten. In my garden, antique roses share space with cactus, yuccas, and agaves and don't get any more water than the rest of my xeric garden, once they're established.

I don't think roses such as these will ever go out of style.

Hi Stuart, that is a sobering thought, but having seen Pam's garden, can vouch for the xericness of certain roses. For the hybrid teas to become whale blubber, fine by me. Own root roses that need no chemicals or extra water are plentiful already here. They look great blended in a mixed border. The cut flower roses hold no sentiment for me, sorry to say.

Doubt it Stu, way too much dosh in the industry for this plant to get nuked. In the UK alone I bet on somewhere around £150M of the annual £3 billion in cut flowers alone is spent on roses.

Possible but I doubt it. I believe roses have gained more attention the last few years and while still not a top seller roses are finding their way into peoples flower gardens.

There is a movement in Texas towards Antique and Old Garden varieties, which are grown on their own rootstock. They require less fussing and less water (but still need water). I just can't imagine roses ever going out of style - their beauty, their frangrance . . . I can see rose gardens going out of style - but not gardens with roses.

The newspaper link doesn't work anymore, but I guess the story is about roses being extinct in Western Australia rather than in general. With weather changing all over the globe maybe some places that can't grow roses now will be prime rose-growing land in future.

But as someone well past that quoted average of 44 years, I won't be around to find out!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

We were told last year in the UK that we should give up on roses etc, this was after one summer drought!! They are predicting that in the UK we will be growing medaterrian plants in the near future and there is already one olive farm that has recently been planted. I know the climate is changing but in the UK it seems to be turning more mild but wet. At the end of the day gardeners are pretty flexible and I am sure if it becomes impossibe to grow roses in Aus you will be able to find something equally as beautiful

I can't see that happening, roses are just too beautiful. I'm 33 and my daughter loves any blooming flower, I'm training a future gardener here. Don't get me wrong, foliage plants are nice and all but they'll never replace our blooming beauties!

I sure hope not. I love roses! They are so beautiful and fragrant that it would be a real bummer to not have them in my garden or see them blooming around the area. I agree though most young people don't garden the way us old folks do. They are to busy and don't have time. I hope that changes.

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I think that practicing "lasagna gardening" techniques can even keep thirsty roses going in dry spells. The increased carbon in the organic matter will actually draw moisture from the air, decreasing water needs substantially.Medium