Rose Bessie

’Bessie’ is a captivating rose that gracefully transitions in color, beginning as an ivory bud and quickly unfolding into a classic deep cup, revealing warm apricot tones at its center. As the petals relax, her form softens into a rosette shape, with hues gently fading to a buttery cream and delicate hints of caramel, while the outer petals maintain their elegant ivory halo. With a light to medium fragrance that blends tea notes with subtle myrrh undertones.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Bessie' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society (2001), 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 continuous 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 'Bessie' rose variety are medium sized, about 4 cm long and 2 to 2.5 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is long pointed ovoid, with a lower portion that is flattened convex. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is medium yellow (Group 10A). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are light yellow (Group 11B) and the lower sides of the petals are light yellow (Group 5D) and white (Group 155A).

Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back, the length is about 7 cm and the diameter is 7 cm.

The sepals have a length of about 3 cm and a width of 1 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is glandular on the upper surface and hairy on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is medium brown green (Group 138B) and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 143A). There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 144A), pitcher shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 1.2 cm long and about 0.8 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is long, averaging to about 6.5 cm in length, of a normal strength and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is light green (Group 144B).

Bloom:

The flowers are large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 10 cm and average depth is about 3.2 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped, as the flower ages the shape becomes flatter, rosette shaped, outer petals curl slightly. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 86. They are born mostly singly or in very small clusters. The other blooms being nipped out for single bloom cut rose production clusters.

When flowers open the upper sides and the reverse sides of the petals are white (Group N155D), the base of the petals has a very small to small basal spot that is medium yellow (Group 2A). Under normal growing conditions the variegation is not observed on the flowers of rose variety 'Bessie'.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is light yellow (Group 11B), and at the end of the third day the general tonality becomes much lighter, white (Group N155D).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is smooth, satiny and the surface is smooth; the shape of the outer petals is round and of the inner petals is obovate (inner petals), the margins are entire. The apex is rounded and the base of the petals is acute, and the petals form flat on outer petals and slightly recurved on the inner petals. Average length of the petals is about 4.7 cm and the width is about 3.7 cm. The arrangement of the petals is informal.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 10-12 on average. Petaloids have light yellow colour (Group 4D), they are about 1.8 mm long and 1 mm width. Petaloids have an obovate shape and irregular margin.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, they normally drop off cleanly before drying. Under normal climate conditions the petals last rather long, on the plant they last for about 7-8 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is 9 days on average.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Bessie' is slight, of a Tea character and with subtle myrrh undertones.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 70 - 75 on average per flower, the length is about 8 mm, they are regularly arranged around the styles.

The anthers have a length of about 6 mm and medium yellow orange colour (Group 16B).

The colour of the filaments is dark yellow (Group 13A), their length is 2 mm on average.

The pollen is medium yellow orange (Group 16B) and scarce.

The number of pistils is 75 on average, they are about 6 mm long.

The colour of the styles is light yellow green (Group 2C) and they are about 5 mm long.

Stigma is about 1 mm long and has medium yellow colour (Group 3B).

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Bessie' is classified as a Shrub rose. The variety is bred for cut flower production and is a part of David Austin’s Wedding and Event Roses collection. The growth character is vigorous and upright. The plants of this rose variety matures very quickly, on the 2nd growing season they reach maturity. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 140 cm and a width of about 60 cm.

Her versatile color palette allows 'Bessie' to harmonize effortlessly with lilac, pale blue, pink, and yellow tones, making her an exquisite choice for floral arrangements. Elegant and understated, she embodies classic beauty, making her the perfect rose for a traditional bridal bouquet or a romantic garden setting.

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 varies from 5 to 7, including the terminal leaflet. The average flowering stem has about 7 - 8 leaves. The foliage is very large to large, about 19.5 cm long and about 12.6 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown purple (Group N186C) with medium green (Group 144A) while the lower side is dark purple red (Group 187C). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 147A) and on the lower side is medium brown green (Group 191A).

Leaflets:

The leaflets are large, are about 6.6 cm long and about 4.5 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is pointed oval, the shape of the leaflet tip is acuminate and the base shape is usually rounded, occasionally cordate. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and large.

The petiole has dark brown green colour (Group 146B) and central petiole is light green (Group 145B), is about 5.7 cm long and 15 mm in diameter. The upper surface of the petiole is smooth while the lower surface texture is smooth with a few prickles.

The petiole rachis is dark brown green (Group 146B) and center is light green (Group 145B), the underside is rough with prickles while the upper side is smooth.

The auricle is lanceolate, has a length of about 0.3 cm and about 1 mm wide. The colour of the auricle is dark green (Group N138A).

The stipules are 2 cm long, have lateral shape and glandular surface. The colour of the stipules is dark brown green (Group 137B).

The veins have the same dark brown green colour (Group 145B), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has dark brown green colour (Group 148A) with dark brown purple (Group 183A) at the tip of new growth, the bark is smooth. The mature wood is dark brown green (Group 146A), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 130 cm and the diameter of 8 mm, the internode distance is 7.5 cm. The stem pubescence is not observed on the stems of this rose variety. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season.

Prickles:

There are few prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes, about 5 - 10 per 20 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward/deep concave, the length is about 0.5 mm. The colour of the young prickles is medium brown purple (Group N182A) at base and middle with light green brown (Group 160A) at tip; the mature prickles have light yellow brown colour (Group 162A) with dark blue pink (Group 70C) at tip.

Small prickles:

There are few small prickles on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety, about 1 - 2 per 20 cm of the stem length. When they are young the colour is medium brown purple (Group N182A) with light green brown (Group 160A) and the colour of the mature small prickles light yellow brown(Group N162A) with dark blue pink (Group 70C).

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Bessie' is disease resistant, particularly to powdery mildew (podosphaera pannosa) and to downy mildew (peronospora species), rust (phragmidium tuberculatum) and to blackspot (diplocarpon rosae) in greenhouse conditions, with on average day temperature maintained at 17.5 degrees C. The pest resistance has not been tested yet.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 7 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Unfortunately we do not have information about the origin of the name of this rose.

Wedding and Event Roses collection

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausperidot’ / 'Bessie' originated in the nursery of David Austin Roses Limited (UK) by crossing the two ‘unnamed’ and unpatented seedlings of class Rosa hybrida.

David Austin is mentioned as the breeder of this rose according to the patent for this rose.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new cut rose variety bearing large blooms with a white blend color and a light fragrance with a long vase life.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 very pale, almost white colored flowers;

 many petalled, very large double blooms with a light fragrance;

 strong stems and growth habit suitable for cut rose production.

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 ‘Ausperidot’ / ‘Bessie’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 the seed parent has a flower which is a yellow blend in color, with smaller leaves, whereas ‘Ausperidot’ / ‘Bessie’ is a very pale, almost white color with larger leaves.

The ‘Ausperidot’ / ‘Bessie’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent is yellow in color with a more informal shapeless bloom and a much higher quantity of prickles, whereas ‘Ausperidot’ / ‘Bessie’ is almost white in color with a more rounded bloom shape and fewer prickles.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivars to the ‘Ausperidot’ / ‘Bessie’ are the ‘Auswagsy’ / ‘Leonora’ and they may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 ‘Auswagsy’ / ‘Leonora’ typically has more petals (approx. 105) than ‘Ausperidot’ / ‘Bessie’ (approx. 86);

 ‘Auswagsy’ / ‘Leonora’ also exhibits a glossier upper side of the leaf when compared to ‘Ausperidot’ / ‘Bessie’, which is more matt/dull;

 ‘Auswagsy’ / ‘Leonora’ exhibits dark blue pink (Group N66C) , whereas ‘Ausperidot’ / ‘Bessie’ has yellow stigma medium yellow colour (Group 3B);

 Finally, ‘Auswagsy’ / ‘Leonora’ has a medium/moderate fragrance of citrus, whereas for ‘Ausperidot’ / ‘Bessie’ the fragrance is weak/slight and more of tea.

USDA 7