Rose Bonita Renaissance

Large, cupped blooms in rich apricot-salmon with a lighter reverse appear continuously from late spring to frost, releasing a strong, sweet perfume. The bush reaches is medium-sized, carries glossy dark-green foliage with good disease resistance, and is winter hardy and disease resistant. The warm apricot tones pair beautifully with blue-purple perennials or silver foliage. Its upright habit allows it to become a mid-border focal point, scented hedge or creating a bright spot in rose mix borders. Strong stems and full flowers also make it a fine cut-flower for romantic bouquets

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Bonita Renaissance' 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.

Flower bud:

The flower buds of 'Bonita Renaissance' rose variety are medium sized, about 2.5 cm long and 2.3 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is light yellow orange (Group 19B) with intonations of light yellow (Group 10C) and longitudinal intonations of dark purple (Group 58A). As the buds continue to open the color remains the same at ¼ opening. Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back.

The sepals have a length of about 2.5 cm and a width of 1 cm. The sepal apex is cirrhose and the base is flat at union with the receptacle. The surface texture is smooth and slightly pubescent on the upper surface and on the lower surface is smooth with few stipitate glands, occurring on margins of sepals and on foliaceous appendages. The colour on the upper surface is medium green (Group 143B) with light intonations of dark blue pink (Group 63B) and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 144A) with anthocyanic pigments of dark brown purple (Group 178A). The margins have weak foliaceous appendages on three of the five sepals.

The receptacle is light green (Group 144B), urn-shaped, and has a smooth and glabrous surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 1.0 cm long and about 0.9 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium averaging to about 4.0 - 4.5 cm in length, somewhat strong and has a smooth and glabrous surface. The colour of the peduncle is light green (Group 144C).

Bloom:

The flowers are large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 10 cm. When first opened, the flower form on the upper part is flat while the lower part has a flattened convex shape, general shape is cupped; when the flower opens the upper part of the flower is flat and the lower part has convex shape. The general shape is a rosette with outer petals overlapping. Flowers are very double, the number of petals under normal conditions is 45. They are born in small clusters of 5 to 6 flower buds per stem on average.

When first opened the colour of the outermost petals on both sides is light blue pink (Group 54D) on the marginal zone blending with white (Group 155B) at the middle zone, becoming completely white (Group 155B) at middle and basal zones. There is occasional streaking of white (Group 155D) to light blue pink (Group 56D) observed from the petal base towards margins. On the petals of this rose variety observed a basal petal spot of medium yellow (Group 7C) on both sides. When the flower fully opens the colours remain the same.

The general tonality of the open flowers is light blue pink (Group 54D) with intonations of pink (Group 52C). No change in the general tonality observed on the flowers at the end of the 10th day under normal growing conditions.

Petals:

The texture and the surface of the petals is smooth, average to thin; the shape of the petals is ovate, the margins are entire and uniform with weak undulations of margin; the apex is round and the base of the petals is acute, outer petals reflex slightly. The average length of the petals is about 5 cm and the width is about 4.8 cm. The arrangement of the petals is not formal, rosette.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 10 to 15 on average. Petaloids have light blue pink colour (Group 54D) blending with white (Group 155B), they are about 4.5 mm long and 2.5 mm width.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality. Under normal climate conditions the petals last long, on the plant they last for about 10 - 14 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is not tested.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Bonita Renaissance' is strong, sweet, and perfume-like.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 72 on average per flower, the length is about 11 mm.

The anthers have a length of about 3 mm and have light yellow orange colour (Group 18C).

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow orange (Group 18A), their length is 8 mm on average.

The number of pistils is 70 on average, they are about 3 to 6 mm long.

The colour of the styles is light yellow orange (Group 18B).

Stigma is inferior in location to the length of the filaments and height of the anthers, the colour is light yellow orange (Group 18B).

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed.

PLANT

The rose variety 'Bonita Renaissance' is classified as a Shrub rose. The growth character is moderate, upright to bushy. Mature and well-established plants have a height of about 100 to 150 cm and the width of about 100 cm.

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 foliage is medium sized, is about 17 cm long and about 12.5 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is medium green (Group 144A) and the lower side is light green (Group 144B - 144C); the margins are dark brown purple (Group 178A). The mature foliage on the upper side is medium brown green (Group 138A) and medium green (Group 144A) and on the lower side is medium green (Group 143C).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium, they are about 6.0 to 6.5 cm long and are about 4.5 to 5.0 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is ovate, the shape of the leaflet tip is cuspidate and the base shape is rounded. The surface texture of the leaflets is smooth, glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and large.

The petiole has light green colour (Group 144C), is about 4.2 cm long and has an anthocyanin of medium brown (Group 176A).

The petiole rachis is light green colour (Group 144C) and has prickles on the underside.

The stipules are medium green in colour (Group 144A), about 3 cm long, finely serrated with above average incidence of stipitate glands.

The venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has light green colour (Group 145A - 144B), the bark is smooth. The mature wood has same light green colour (Group 145A - 144B), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The stem pubescence is not observed on the stems of this rose variety.

Prickles:

There are normal quantities of prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes, about 8 prickles per 10 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is concave, the length is about 6 mm. The colour of the young prickles is brown red (Group 178B) with medium brown purple (Group 181A); the mature prickles have light yellow brown colour (Group 161B) with medium brown (Group 176A).

Small prickles:

There are no small prickles present on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety under normal growing conditions.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Bonita Renaissance' has above average 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.

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

Renaissance

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘POULen009’ / 'Bonita Renaissance' originated by L. Pernille Olesen and Mogens N. Olesen in their nursery in Fredensborg, Denmark in July, 1996 by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with the Shrub rose ’POULsyng’ / ‘Clair Renaissance’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety with abundant, pink flowers and attractive foliage

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 uniform and abundant pink flowers;

 vigorous, but compact growth when propagated both as a budded rose and on its own roots;

 disease resistance;

 exceptional fragrance.

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 ‘POULen009’ / ‘Bonita Renaissance’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 While the seed parent has a light pink flower bud, the ‘POULen009’ / ‘Bonita Renaissance’ has an orange flower bud. Also, the unnamed seed parent has small flowers of about 5 to 8 cm in diameter, while the ‘POULen009’ / ‘Bonita Renaissance’ has larger flowers of about 10 to 15 cm in diameter.

The ‘POULen009’ / ‘Bonita Renaissance’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 While the pollen parent ’POULsyng’ / ‘Clair Renaissance’ has a flower bud of orange colour (Group 27B) the colour of the bud of ‘POULen009’ / ‘Bonita Renaissance’ is light yellow orange (Group 19B). Also the pollen parent ’POULsyng’ / ‘Clair Renaissance’ has fewer petals, 34 to 40 petals, compared to the larger amount of the petals on the flowers of ‘POULen009’ / ‘Bonita Renaissance’ with 45 petals on average.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivar to the ‘POULen009’ / ‘Bonita Renaissance’ is the rose variety ‘Masdougi’ / ‘Sonia Rykiel’ and they may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 the ‘POULen009’ / ‘Bonita Renaissance’ has stronger peduncles larger clusters of the flowers of about 5 to 6 blooms per cluster, comparing to somewhat bending peduncles and 2 - 3 blooms per cluster typical for the rose variety ‘Masdougi’ / ‘Sonia Rykiel’;

  Also ‘Masdougi’ / ‘Sonia Rykiel’ has slightly larger plants, of about 120 - 150 cm in height, while the ‘POULen009’ / ‘Bonita Renaissance’ grows about 100 - 150 cm in height and has large plants in very rich soils.

USDA 6