Rose Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Striking English rose, distinguished by its soft lilac‑pink blooms - an unusually delicate shade among David Austin’s creations that deepens to true lilac in cooler weather. Each flower opens from broad, reddish‑pink buds into very full, shallow‑cupped rosettes of quilled petals arranged in neat quarters around a defined button eye. The petal backs are always a shade paler, and as the blooms age they fade to a dusky, gray‑pink edge, adding further depth to their color. The fragrance is a gentle Old‑Rose scent, with subtle almond and lilac notes that complement the flower’s pastel character.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the "Methuen Handbook of Colour" published by Eyre Methuen Ltd. (1963), 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 an abundant and continual 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 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' rose variety are medium sized, about 3.0 cm long and 1.2 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is round with a flattened base, the cuspidate apex drawn out into leaf-like ensiform protrusions. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is dark red / deep red (Group 11C8). Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back.

The sepals have a length of about 2.0 - 2.5 cm and a width of about 0.9 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is densely tomentose on the upper surface and on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is deep green (Group 28D8) with red glandular hairs and on the lower surface is greyish green / apple green (Group 29C7). There are 3 normally appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with densely tomentose edges. The outer margins of the sepals have red glandular hairs and ensiform protrusions, the apex extended into an ensiform protrusions.

The receptacle is greyish green (Group 29D7), v-shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 0.8 - 1.0 cm long and about 0.8 - 1.0 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 4.0 - 5.0 cm in length, bending and has medium dense red glandular hairs on the surface. The colour of the peduncle is deep green (Group 28D8).

Bloom:

The flowers are medium sized, the average diameter of the open flower is about 6.5 - 7.0 cm. When first open, the flower form is globular, and when flowers open the shape remains round with flattened base and cuspidate apex drawn out into leaf-like ensiform protrusions. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions varies from 150 to 160. They are born in small clusters having irregular shape, of 1 - 5 (mainly 4) blooms together.

The colour of the flowers when just open on the upper side of the outer and of the inner petals at the base is yellow (Group 3A6) changing to rose pink / flamingo (Group 12A4). The underside of the outer and of the inner petals at the base is light yellow / sun yellow (Group 2A5), changing to pinkish white (Group 12A2) or rose pink (Group 12A3).

When fully open the colour of the flowers becomes on the upper side from the base light yellow (Group 3A5) changing to pinkish white (Group 12A2) or rose pink (Group 12A3). The underside of the petals at the base have pastel yellow colour (Group 2A4), changing to pinkish white 12A2 (Group 12A2).

When the flowers finishing blooming the colouring changes on the upper side of the outer and of the inner petals at the base to pale yellow/pastel yellow (Group 2A3-4) changing to pinkish white (Group 13A2) while on the underside the outer and the inner petals at the base have pale yellow colour (Group 2A3) changing to purplish white (Group 14A2).

Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of rose variety 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh'.

Petals:

The texture of the petals is soft and the surface is smooth; the shape of the outside petals is cupped (i.e. not flat), rounded with bilobed apex and cuneate base; the petals in the middle are somewhat cupped, elongated heart shape with bilobed apex and acute base while the most inner petals are somewhat cupped, elongated heart shaped, with apex of petals caught into center of receptacle forming a button-eye.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, dropping its petals quickly leaving a tidy looking rose plantю Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly long, on the plant they last for about 4 - 5 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is about 3-4.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' is light and sweet, Old‑Rose in character, with subtle almond and lilac notes.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 20-25 on average per flower.

The anthers have golden yellow colour (Group 3A8).

The colour of the filaments is pastel yellow (Group 3A4).

The number of pistils is 60 on average.

The colour of the styles is pastel yellow (Group 3A4) at the base top, they have irregular height.

Stigma have yellowish orange / cadmium yellow colour (Group 4A8).

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' is classified as a Shrub rose. The growth character is bushy, strong and moderately vigorous. Forms compact and twiggy plants. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 90 - 110 cm and the width of about 90 - 110 cm.

To maintain its tidy habit and encourage larger blooms, prune back by about one‑third after the first flush and thin out older canes in early spring. Whether trained as a pillar or left as a free‑standing bush, ‘Charles Rennie Mackintosh’ brings a refined, romantic charm and reliable performance to any garden.

Foliage:

There is an abundant 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.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is greyish green / bracken green (Group 29E7) with reddish brown mid rib and margins while the lower side is greyish green / spinach green (Group 29E6) and greyish green / bracken green (Group 29E7) reddish brown margins. The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 28F8) and on the lower side is greyish green / spinach green (Group 29E5 and 29E6).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium and the shape of the leaflets is ovate with cordate base and cuspidate apex. 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 deep green colour (Group 29E8) on the upper side and greyish green colour on the underside (Group 29D7), is about 7 cm long and has sparse red tipped hairs at the edge of the groove. There are few prickles, 1-3 per node, of a pale yellow colour (Group 2A3) deeping to reddish brown / bronze red (Group 10C8) at apex.

The stipules are about 25 mm long and about 6 - 8 mm wide, have angle of wingtips to petiole of less than 45 degrees, the colour of the stipules is deep green colour (Group 30D8).

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has greyish green colour (Group 28D6) and the bark is smooth and glabrous. The mature wood is deep green / parrot green (Group 30E8) and the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

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 ordinary quantities of prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes, about 6-10 per node. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward. The colour of the young prickles is rosewood / redish brown (Group 9D5 and 9D6); the mature prickles have light yellow / chrome yellow colour (Group 2A7) deepening to brown (Group 7E7/8) at apex.

Small prickles:

There are numerous red glandular hairs on older nodes on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' 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 5 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named for the Scottish architect, artist and designer in conjunction with the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society and the City of Glasgow Parks and Recreation Department. Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868—1928) frequently used stylised roses in his designs which were often similar to this variety.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausren’ / 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' originated by David Austin by crossing female parent (seed parent) - English shrub rose ‘Chaucer’ with male parent - English shrub rose ‘Ausmary’ / ‘Mary Rose’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety with a good repeat flowering with old-fashioned shaped flowers of lilac or lavender colour.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 vigorous abundant and continual blooming that occurs for 5 months;

 unusual and pleasing petal coloration intensified in color darkness with blossom, age and exposure of lilac flowers;

 very full old-fashioned shape of the flowers.

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.

USDA 5