Rose Bibi Maizoon

The flowers of ‘Bibi Maizoon‘ are magnificent: large, globe-shaped, and a clear, warm pink, reminiscent of an enhanced Centifolia. They emit a wonderful fragrance. Occasionally, the flowers, though still beautiful, may appear more shallowly cupped. Once it has established it forms an elegant, spreading, arching shrub, with flowers that hang slightly on the branches.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of the rose variety ‘Bibi Maizoon‘, the color terminology being in accordance with the "Methuen Handbook of Colour" published by Eyre Methuen Ltd (1963).

FLOWER

This rose variety has a good repeat flowering habit, blooming in flushes.

Flower bud:

The bud shape is rounded with cuspidate apex. The length of the flower bud is about 3.5 cm (1 1/2 inches), the width is about 1 cm before bud break. The colour when start to open is pale green (Group 30A3) at base deepening through cream greyish rose (Group 11B6) and to deep red (Group 11C8) closer to the tip. The number of flower buds per flowering stem varies from 1 to 6, but mainly is 5.

The sepals are about 2.5 - 3.5 cm (1 - 1 1/2 inches) long, their surface texture is densely tomentose. The colour on the upper side is grayish green / deep green (Group 29D7/8) and the colour on the underside of the sepals is the same with ensiform protrusions shaded with reddish brown (Group 8D5). The outer margins of the sepals are with red glandular hairs and long ensiform protrusions (margins of protrusions dentate), and the inner margins are densely tomentose. There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals, and 2 unappendaged sepals on the flower buds of this variety.

The receptacle is long and jug shaped, about 10 - 12 mm long, and their width is about 8 - 9 mm; the surface texture is smooth and glabrous. The colour of the receptacle is grayish green (Group 29D7).

The peduncle is medium sized, about 4 cm long, the surface is covered with small thorns and with sparse red glandular hairs of grayish colour (Group 1C6). The surface colour is green, widely shaded with reddish brown (Group 8D5/6).

Bloom:

The flowers are medium to large, average open diameter of the flower is about 7 cm. When first open, the bloom is cupped, as the flower ages the flower form remains, becomes slightly flat at top. The flowers are very full.

The colour of the flowers upon opening on the upper side on the outer petals is pale red (Group 12A3) with yellow at base while the inner petals are darker (Group 11A5). The underside of the outer petals is pinkish white (Group 11A2) with pale yellow at the base, while the inner petals are slightly darker (Group 11A4).

When fully open the upper side on the outer petals have pinkish white colour (Group 12A2) with yellow at base while the inner petals are pale red (Group 11A3). At the same time, the underside of the outer petals have pinkish white colour (Group 13A2) with pale yellow at the base, while the inner petals are pale red (Group 11A3).

When the flower is finishing blooming the colour on the upper side on the outer petals is pinkish white colour (Group 12A2) with yellow at base while the inner petals are pale red (Group 11A4). The underside of the outer petals have pale pinkish white colour (Group 12A2) with pale yellow at the base, while the inner petals are pale red (Group 11A3).

Petals:

The surface and texture of the petals is irregular and grainy. The shape of the outer petals is rounded with flattened bilobed apex cuneate base.The petals in the middle have ovate with flattened and bilobed apex cuneate base. The most inner petals have similar shape to the ones in the middle but they are narrower.

Under normal weather conditions there are about 110 - 120 petals on a flower and there are about 10 petals slightly exhibiting staminody.

The petals have good self cleaning quality, they fall easily and leave a tidy rose plant.

The lasting quality is good, they last on a plant in the garden for about 6-8 days under normal weather conditions. As a cut flower they live for about 5-7 days.

Fragrance:
The fragrance of ‘Bibi Maizoon’ is strong, very sweet, with Old Rose character and fruity notes.

Reproductive parts:
The number of stamens per flower is around 32-38, the average is 35, they have bright yellow colour.

The filaments have pale yellow colour (Group 3A4), the length is very variable.

The number of pistils is about 50 - 60 per flower.

Stigmas are yellow (Group 3A3).

The styles have pale straw colour (Group 3A2), their length is very variable as well.

PLANT
The variety is classified as a Shrub rose from David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth habit is moderately vigorous, the plant has rather low and mounted growth. Forms a compact plant of about 90 - 120 cm in height and has about 60 - 120 cm in width.

Since its introduction in 1989, this variety has shown some variability in performance. The plant has rather weak stems that can't quite hold up the large blossoms, and so they tend to droop. The foliage starts out with a decidedly reddish tint, and the smooth, almost thornless light green canes mature to light green with reddish prickles.

Foliage:
There is a normal quantity of foliage on the plant. The number of leaflets on a normal mid stem leaf is 5, sometimes 3. The general appearance of the foliage is rather sparse.

Stipules have an average length of about 25 mm and width of about 8 mm. Angle of wingtips to the petiole is less than 45 degrees. The colour is grayish yellow (Group 2B4). The shape of stipules is rounded (convex) with red glandular hairs.

The general appearance of the petiole is slender, the length is about 65 mm. The upper colour is grayish green (Group 29C7) with sparse red glandular hairs. The underside is light green (Group 30D4) with prickles, of 1 to 3 per node, they have brownish red colour (Group 8E8) fading to pale yellow.

Leaflets:
The shape of the leaflets is ovate with a rounded base and cuspidate apex. The leaflets have leathery texture and serrated edges, the type of serration is dentate.

The colour of the young foliage on the upper side is olive green (Group 3E7) with reddish brown capillaries and margins (Group 9E7). The underside of the foliage is Reddish brown (Group 9E5). The adult foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 29F7) and the underside is spinach green (Group 29E6).

Wood:
The young stems have apple green colour (Group 29C7) with extensive violet brown tint (Group 10F6), the texture is smooth. The mature stems have greyish green colour (Group 29D6) with extensive purplish red (Group 11D7) tint, the texture is smooth and glabrous.

Stems:
The canes of this rose have a distinctive zigzag growth habit.

Prickles:
The prickles have brownish red (strawberry) colour (Group 10D8). The quantity of prickles is about 2 to 8 per internode, they are about 7 mm long.

Small prickles:
There are few small, sparse glandular prickles on the canes of this variety, about 3 to 8 thorns per internode of a brownish red (raspberry) colour (Group 10D7).

Disease resistance:
This rose variety unfortunately is somewhat prone to most common rose diseases, such as black spot, mildew and rust, especially in more colder and moist climates. Resistance to botrytis is good. Pest resistance has not been tested yet.

On the bright side, the variety is quite frost hardy, easily survives winters in climate conditions similar to USDA 5.

The naming rights for this rose were acquired by a private individual in The UK, choosing the name of a family member. The rose has sometimes been spelled as 'Bibi Mezoon,' but Austin later updated it to the current form.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The rose variety ‘Ausdimindo’ / ‘Bibi Maizoon’ was bred by cross pollination of two distinctive rose varieties by David Austin in Albrighton, Nr. Wolverhampton, The UKnd and derived as follows:

 Female parent (seed parent) - English shrub rose ‘Ausreeve’ / ‘The Reeve’ by David Austin, 1979.

 Male parent (pollen parent) - English shrub rose ‘Chaucer’ by David Austin, 1970.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

Primary features of rose variety ‘Ausdimindo’ / ‘Bibi Maizoon’ which connote a distinctive advance over the other types or roses are:

 the vigorous abundant and continual blooming that occurs for 5 months

 the perfection of the fully double flowers of an old-fashioned shape.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

‘Ausdimindo’ / ‘Bibi Maizoon’ characterized as to novelty by its fully double flowers of pure pink coloring, with abundant and continual blooming and the unusual blend of coloring and shaping of the flower.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

‘Ausdimindo’ / ‘Bibi Maizoon’ may be distinguished from its seed parent ‘Ausreeve’ / ‘The Reeve’ by the following combination of characteristics:

  emsp;whereas the seed parent ‘Ausreeve’ / ‘The Reeve’ has less petaled globular and bright pink coloured flowers, which show just a glimpse of prominent yellow stamens in the center, ‘Ausdimindo’ / ‘Bibi Maizoon’ bears much fuller cupped flowers of a warm pink colour.

‘Ausdimindo’ / ‘Bibi Maizoon’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent ‘Chaucer’, by the following combination of characteristics:

   the pollen parent ‘Chaucer’ bears soft blush pink blooms with prominent button eye in the center and has strong myrrh fragrance, while ‘Ausdimindo’ / ‘Bibi Maizoon’ bears cupped shaped flowers of warm pink colour and has strong Old rose and fruity fragrance.

USDA 5