Rose A Shropshire Lad

One of the finest English Roses created by David Austin demonstrates soft peachy-pink blooms that gracefully pale toward the edges, creating a delicate mother-of-pearl or almost white effect. The reverse of the petals is deep rose-red, adding rich tones to the flower. The blooms open shallowly cupped rosettes filled with small, quilled petals at the center. Over time, the outer petals reflex, creating a stunning rosette-shaped display. The fragrance is moderately-strong, mixed and delightful, of a Fruity and Tea character.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'A Shropshire Lad' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, except where common terms of color definition are employed. Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climatic conditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWERING

This rose variety has a recurrent flowering habit. Blooms in flushes with short breaks from summer until frosts. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count.

Flower bud:

The flower buds of 'A Shropshire Lad' rose variety are medium sized, about 2.0 - 2.5 cm long and 2.0 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is globular with a pointed top. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is red pink (Group 48A). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are light yellow (Group 9D) and the lower sides of the petals are light red pink (Group 39D).

The sepals have a lanceolate shape, the surface texture is hairy on the upper surface and waxy on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is medium green (Group 141C). There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 141C), funnel shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 0.6 - 0.8 cm long.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 4.5 - 6.0 cm in length, bending, and has a slightly rough surface. The colour of the peduncle is dark brown purple (Group 183B).

Bloom:

The flowers are large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 8 cm. When first open, the flower form is shallowly cupped, later the flower form flattens, outer petals curl back, revealing a quartered rosette shape. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 86 on average. They are born in small clusters, of 6 blooms on average, having irregular shape. The flowering stem has medium strength and normal length, of about 45 - 55 cm.

The colour of the flower from the upper sides of the petals is light yellow orange (Group 158C) and light blue pink (Group 56B) toward the edges on some petals. The reverse sides of the petals are light red pink (Group 36D). The base of each petal is medium yellow (Group 8A). The major colors on the upper sides are light yellow orange (Group 158C) and light red pink (Group 36B). Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of 'A Shropshire Lad'.

The general tonality at the end of the first day does not change, remaining mainly light yellow orange (Group 158C) and light red pink (Group 36B). At the end of the third day the general tonality becomes lighter, light red pink (Group 36B), paling further to light red pink (Group 36D).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is thin and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is round on the outer petals and deltoid on the inner petals, tips slightly recurved. The arrangement of the petals is quartered, with no petaloids in the center.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, they drop off cleanly before drying. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly long, on the plant they last for about 5 days, but as a cut flower their lastingness has not been tested yet.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'A Shropshire Lad' is moderately strong, of a mixed character, with tones of Fruits and Tea.

Reproductive parts:

There are many stamens on the flowers of this rose variety, they are small and regularly arranged around the styles.

The anthers have yellow colour.

The colour of the filaments is yellow.

The pollen is golden yellow.

The colour of the styles is light green.

Stigma has yellow colour as well.

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed yet.

PLANT

The rose variety 'A Shropshire Lad' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is vigorous, branching, forming upright and slightly arching plants. The mature and well-established plant has a height of about 125 - 300 cm and the width of about 80 - 120 cm.

It thrives as both a climber, reaching heights of 240 - 300 cm (8 – 10ft), or as a large shrub, growing up to 180 cm in height and 1.5m in width (6 x 5ft). Particularly stunning when trained over an arch or a wall, it provides two abundant flushes of blooms each year, making it a reliable and captivating addition to any garden.

Foliage:

There is a normal quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose variety. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is usually 7, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is large, about 18 - 19 cm long and about 13.5 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark purple red (Group 185A) while the lower side is dark brown purple (Group 183B). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 139A) and on the lower side is medium brown green (Group 147B).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium, they are about 6.5 cm long and are about 4 - 5 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is pointed oval, the surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and small.

The petiole has medium brown purple colour (Group 182A), has from 3 to 5 small prickles between which there are many minute protuberances which give the petiole a rough feel.

The petiole rachis is reddish in colour.

The stipules are about 2.5 mm long from tip to where it joins the stem; stipules have glandular, hairy and serrated surfaces.

The venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has reddish colour and smooth bark. The mature wood is green, the bark remains smooth.

Prickles:

There are ordinary (mainly toward the base of the stem) prickles present on the main canes from base. On the laterals from main canes there is an ordinary quantity of prickles. The shape of the prickles is pyramidal, the length is medium. The colour of the young prickles is dark brown purple (Group 183A) and the mature prickles have brownish colour.

Small prickles:

There are very few small prickles on the main canes of this rose, and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety there are many prickles. When they are young the colour is medium brown and the colour of the mature small prickles is brown.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'A Shropshire Lad' has good resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to mildew, blackspot and rust under normal growing conditions. The pest resistance has not been tested yet.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 6 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

The name is taken from A. E. Housman’s cycle of poems about Shropshire, published in 1896, where also located the garden and the nursery of David Austin. A. E. Housman’s ashes are buried near St. Laurence's Church in Ludlow, Shropshire. David C. H. Austin, born in Shropshire, is himself a Shropshire lad.

English Climbing Roses

Award of Garden Merit (RHS/RNRS), Award of Garden Merit (RHS/RNRS), 2000;

Modern Shrub Rose, Fair Friends of the Rose Show; 2001;

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausled’ / 'A Shropshire Lad' originated by David Austin by crossing the variety ‘Ausblush’ / ‘Heritage’ with an unnamed seedling.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new disease resistant rose variety with shrubby growth with very repeat flowering of attractive flowers.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The objective was achieved, along with other important improvements, and this rose variety incorporated the following unique combination of characteristics:

 Attractive, full, peachy-pink flowers with rosette formation;

 Very disease resistant;

 Repeat flowers well;

 Attractive shrubby growth;

Asexual reproduction of this variety by budding showed that the foregoing and all other characteristics and distinctions came true to form, established and transmitted through the succeeding propagations.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

The ‘Ausled’ / ‘A Shropshire Lad’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

  ‘Ausblush’ / ‘Heritage’ has soft pink deeply cupped flowers with fewer petals, while ‘Ausled’ / ‘A Shropshire Lad’ has fuller shallowly cupped at first quartered rosette later on shaped peachy-pink flowers and forms larger plants.

USDA 6