Hawkeye Belle is a wonderful rose out of the hybridizing program of Dr. Griffith Buck from Iowa Sate University. To the Indiana growers that means that it is cold hardy to zone 4 without protection, and in our zone 5 winters that means there is little need for winter protection for this rose. It is also very disease resistant so requires less attention than a hybrid tea of the same color.

Although Hawkeye Belle is not available for sale through the Indianapolis Rose Society this year, there are many other Dr. Griffith Buck roses available. See the listing in the March issue of The Rosarian.

Hawkeye Bell as described by Iowa State University:

White shrub. The ovoid, pointed buds of honeysuckle white (RHSCC 159D) open double (35-40 petals), high-centered to flat, 4-4.5 inch blooms of honeysuckle white tinted with azalea and orient pink and intensifying with age. The blooms borne singly and in clusters of 2-10, have an intense sweet fragrance. The large, abundant, leathery foliage is dark green tinted with copper when young. The thorns are olive-green and awl-like. The erect, vigorous, very bushy, 3.5 x 3.5 ft plant blooms profusely in June and then continually until killing frost. The plants are winter-hardy in Iowa without protection.

Hawkeye Bell the Statistics
Class: Modern Shrub
Breeding: Bred in the United States by Dr. Griffith Buck 1975
Parentage: ('Queen Elizabeth' x 'Pizzicat') x 'Prairie Princess'
Blooms: Light pink [ARS lp], white, near white & white blend [w] blooms. Strong fragrance. 38 to 45 petals. Large, double bloom form. Repeats its bloom again later in the season.
Growth Habit: 4’ to 5’ High and 4’ Wide
ARS Rating: 7.6