Rose Charles Darwin

Quite a distinctively coloured English rose, ‘Charles Darwin’ has almost pure mustard shade. The flowers are very full and rounded at first, later opening up to shallow cups, with quartered petals arrangement in the center. The aroma is strong, delicious, somewhere between a soft floral tea and almost pure lemon. Forms a sturdy shrub with broad, rounded and arching growth.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following detailed description of the rose variety ‘Charles Darwin’ is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Royal Horticultural Society (London) Colour Chart (2001), except where ordinary dictionary significance of color is indicated.

FLOWER

This rose variety has a recurrent flowering habit. Blooms in flushes with short breaks from summer until frosts.

Flower bud:

The flower buds of this rose variety are medium, about 1.3 - 2.5 cm (0.5 - 1 inch) long when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is globular. When sepals first divide, the bud color is light yellow (Group RHS 12C) with some mottling of medium red (Group 45C) on the outermost petals. When half open, the upper sides of the petals on the bud are light yellow (Group RHS 12C); and the lower sides of the petals are light yellow (Group 8D).

The sepals are medium sized, have a length of about 2 cm (0.8 inch) and the width of 1.3 cm (0.5 inch). The shape of the sepals is ovate, the surface texture: Smooth but edges are hairy; the colour is medium green (Group 144A). There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is light green (Group 144B), funnel shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 1 - 1.2 cm (0.4-0.5 inch) long and about 1.2 cm (0.5 inch) wide.

The peduncle is medium long, erect and has a smooth surface. The length of the peduncle averages to about 7 cm (2.7 inches). The colour is light green (Group 144C) with dark purple red tinge (Group 59B).

Bloom:

The flowers of ‘Charles Darwin’ are medium to large. The average diameter of the open flower is about 7.6 cm (3 inches). When first open, the flower form is cupped, the flower form persists until the end, the outer petal edges curl slightly. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 136. They are born several together in pyramidal clusters of 3-4 blooms together. The flowering stem has normal strength, and has an average length of about 60 cm (24 inches).

Colour of the upper sides of the petals closer to the base are light yellow (Group 8C) and light yellow (Group 8D) closer to the edges. The reverse sides of the petals are light yellow (Group 8C). The base of each petal is medium yellow (Group 9A). The major color on the upper side is light yellow Group 8C. The variegations on the petals of the flowers are not observed.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is medium yellow (Group 8B), at the end of the third day the general tonality becomes lighter, medium yellow (Group 8A). As the bloom ages color fades to medium yellow (Group 4B).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is smooth and satiny; the shape of the petals is orbicular, with rounded shape of the apex and of the base of the petals, their margins are frilled. Average length of the petals is about 3.5 cm and the width is about 3 cm. The tips of the petals are slightly recurved on outer petals, heavily quilled in the center. The arrangement of the petals is quartered in the center.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 9 on average. The size of the petaloids is about 3 mm in width and about 5 mm in height and they usually have an elliptical shape. The colour of the petaloids is a bit darker than the colour of the petals, medium yellow (Group RHS 8B).

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 fairly long, on the plant they last for about 7 days, as a cut flower they also last for about 7 days. Ih hot climate they fade rather quickly - within 2 - 3 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose variety “Charles Darwin’ is strong, delicious and fruity, varying from soft floral Tea to pure lemon.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 55 on average per flower, they are usually mixed with petaliods.

The anthers have a length of about 2-3 mm (fraction (3/32) inch) and medium yellow orange (Group 15B).

The colour of the filaments is dark yellow (Group 14A).

The pollen is dark yellow (Group 14B).

The number of pistils is 70 on average.

The colour of the styles is medium yellow green (Group 150A) and are about 1.3 cm (0.5 inch) long.

Stigma are about 8 mm (fraction 1/32 inch) long and are medium yellow orange (Group 13B).

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

PLANT

The rose variety ‘Charles Darwin’ is classified as a Shrub rose and is a part of David Austin’s English Shrub roses subclass. The growth habit of this rose variety is moderately vigorous, more bushy, rounded, with arching branches. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 105 - 120 cm (3.5 - 3.8 feet) and the width of about 90 cm (3 feet).

Due to its rounded and arching growth character it will be a perfect choice to create informal and relaxed garden design, as it allows you to concentrate less on straight lines and more on blurring the edges of your garden with roses and perennials. A great companion plant will be lavender, salvias, garden catmint.

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. The foliage is medium sized, about 12.7 - 17.8 cm (5 - 7 inches) long and about 12.7 cm (5 inches) wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 137B) with brown red (Group 180A) tint around the edge; while the lower side is dark brown green (Group 146B). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 139A) and on the lower side is dark brown green (Group 146A).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is about 7 cm (2.75 inches) long and are about 4.5 cm (1.75 inches) wide. The shape of the leaflets is broadly oval, the shape of the leaflet tip is acuminate and the base shape is rounded. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and medium.

The petiole has medium brown green colour (Group 138B). The petiole rachis is light green (Group 145A) and has few prickles on the underside.

The article, if present, has pointed shape.

The stipules are about 1.9 cm (0.75 inch) long and have serrated edges.

The veins have medium green colour, the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of ‘Charles Darwin’ has light green colour (Group 144B) with dark brown purple blush(Group 183C), their bark is smooth. The mature wood is medium green (Group 144A), slightly streaky, with brown red Group 178B blush, the bark remains smooth.

Prickles:

There are few prickles present on the canes from base and on the laterals from main canes. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward and the length is about 6 mm (0.25 inch). The colour of the young prickles is dark purple red (Group 187B); the mature prickles have dark brown colour (Group 187A).

Small prickles:

The small prickles are not observed on the main canes as well as on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety ‘Charles Darwin’ 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.

The cold hardiness was not widely tested, but it shows in general good winter hardiness in climate zones similar to USDA 6 and warmer.

Named after the naturalist Charles Darwin who was born in Shropshire.

English Shrub Roses

Gifu Bronze Medal, Gifu Rose Trials, Japan, 2006.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Auspeet’ / ‘Charles Darwin’ originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with an unnamed, unpatented seedling.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety with a very free-flowering and healthy plant and with a flowers of the classic English rose shape with a good fragrance.

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 large, full rounded blooms, opening to a shallow cup;

 Attractive, bushy and rounded growth; and

 Color of flowers varies from an almost buff yellow to lemon yellow.

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

‘Auspeet’ / ‘Charles Darwin’ has yellow flowers compared to the pink/apricot flowers of its seed parent and 136 petals as compared to the 55 to 75 petaled flower of its pollen parent.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose variety is ‘Ausbaker’ / ‘Teasing Georgia’, which has a large, arching growth habit as compared to the upright branching habit of ‘Auspeet’ / ‘Charles Darwin’; and also ‘Ausbaker’ / ‘Teasing Georgia’ leaves are smaller and the leaflets less rounded than those of ‘Auspeet’ / ‘Charles Darwin’.

USDA 6