Tuesday, March 8, 2011

"Dade City Red China" rose

A few years ago my gardening and farming non-rosarian friend Pat Lawhead showed me a Mystery Rose he had propagated from one he'd seen thriving in an opening in a sidewalk by the Dade City, Florida library. As I recall he took 100 cuttings and 60 took...good thing as he says the original is gone. From the second I saw it I knew it was a red China Rose but felt immediately it is not 'Cramoisi Superieur' which I have encountered many times in Florida, mainly because the color is a dark garnet red plus the petals edges roll back (reflex?) much as one might see in a Hybrid Tea. As you'd expect the center petals have white striations, and the scent is classically fruity-rose though different from 'Cramoisi Superieur'. The foliage looks very China-ey as does the twiggy growth. Once again my camera added a magenta wash to the dark red garnet color, though in the pics I've attached this is less pronounced. I was just on the phone with Lee Sherman about it and told her the color reminds me of that of 'Chrysler Imperial'. I did some Googling and checked www.helpmefind.com as my first thought was the 'Ma Tulipe' as seen in 'The Roses at The Cape of Good Hope' but found little data and no images. BUT...I stumbled on a red China I'd never heard of...'Cruenta'. I'd love to hear from folks their notions as to a possible ID, knowing it might just be a chance seedling. It is thriving in a restricted drainage tree pot on the north side of my home, but I intend to root several and grow one in a 7 gallon Water Wise Container Garden and bury it as I recreate my drought-ravaged collection with these buried Water Wise Container Gardens now that perennial drought is the new norm for Florida. Pat said the original was very husky vs. petite as in the semi-double "Martha Gonzalez".


Mystery Roses are VERY uncommon in Florida so as Bill Grant would say, I am levitating! Thanks in advance for any ideas you might have to offer.

John
p.s. remember to mentally subtract the magenta tones as it is virtually a true deep garnet red. Also, the bloom size has increased quite a bit since that pic of a bloom in my hand.


1 comment:

  1. Before seeing the photos my thought was "red, china = Louis Phillipe". But the form and petal count are wrong. hmmm????

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