Rose Claire Austin

Blooms with pleasingly cupped, pale lemon buds which gradually open to large, creamy white flowers, the outer petals perfectly arranged in concentric circles. They have a strong myrrh fragrance with dashes of meadowsweet, vanilla, and heliotrope. The growth is strong and particularly healthy, and it is clothed in attractive matt green foliage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY
In this description the color references are based upon the Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society 2001, except where common terms of color definition are used. The following description is based on mature and well-established plant grown outdoors. Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural, and climatic conditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWER
Rose variety ‘Claire Austin’ has recurrent blooming habit, flowers from summer until the frosts. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, they are simply too many to count.

Flower bud:
The flower bud is medium sized; when the petals start to unfurl the bud is about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long and 2.5 cm (1 inch) in diameter. The bud form is globular. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is light yellow green (Group 1C) with red flecks. When half opened, the upper sides of the petals are white (Group 155A), and the lower sides of the petals are white (Group 155A).

Calyx when viewed from the above is star-shaped, has length of about 2 cm (0.8 inches) and diameter of about 4.5 cm (1.8 inches).

Sepals are regularly arranged. The length of the sepals is about 2.3 cm (0.9 inches) and the width is about 1 cm (0.4 inches). They have subulate shape, the margin is slightly canescent and the surface texture on the upper surface is pubescent and on the lower surface is smooth. The color of the upper surface of the sepals is greyed-green (Group 194B) and the lower surface is yellow-green (Group 144B). There are 3 normally appendaged sepals and 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacles have yellow-green colour (Group 144A). The shape of the receptacle is campanulate; they are medium sized, with the length of about 1 cm (0.4 inches) and the diameter of about 1 cm (0.4 inches). The surface texture is smooth.

The peduncle is long and strong, averaging about 15 cm. The surface of the peduncle is smooth and the colour is yellow-green (Group 144B).

Bloom:
The flowers are medium sized, average open diameter is about 9 cm (3.5 inches). They are borne singly or in small clusters of 5-10 blooms having corymb shaped inflorescence. The flowering stems have normal strength, the average length is about 50 cm (19.7 inches) and the diameter is about 4 mm (0.16 inches).

When first open, the bloom is cupped. As the flower fully opens the bloom flattens.

The number of petals on a flower under normal growing conditions is about 120. The upper sides of the petals have white colour (Group 155B) and the reverse sides of the petals are white (Group 155B). The base of the petals is white (Group 155B).

Petals:
Petals have smooth and satiny texture. The width of the average petal is about 3.3 cm (1.3 inches) and the length is about 4.2 cm (1.65 inches). The surface of the petals is smooth; they have an obovate shape with notched margin and are slightly incurved. The base is pointed, and the apex has a slightly emarginate shape. The petals are informally arranged.

The number of petaloids per flower is about 4. They have white colour (Group 155A) with yellow-orange (Group 15A) anthers and red (Group 48B) filaments. The normal petaloids have length of the petal of about 10 mm (0.4 inches), the anther is about 2.5 mm (0.1 inches) long and the filament has length of about 10 mm; the width of the petal only is about 10 mm (0.4 inches). Petaliods have irregular shape and margins.

Petals drop off cleanly before drying. They last on a plant about 4-5 days; and as a cut flower their lastingness was not tested.

Fragrance:
The fragrance of the ‘Claire Austin’ is elegant and robust, with strong and sweet myrrh character and dashes of meadowsweet, vanilla and heliotrope.

Reproductive parts:
The number of stamens per flower is about 50, their length is about 12.5 mm (0.5 inches).

Anthers are about 2.5 mm (0.1 inches) long, they are yellow orange (Group 15A) and tucked in calyx or partly so mixed with petaloids.

Filaments are about 10 mm (0.4 inches) long and have red colour (Group 48B).

Pollen has yellow-orange colour (Group 15A).

The number of pistils is about 30, with average length of about 10 mm (0.4 inches).

Styles have an average length of about 9 mm (0.35 inches) and white colour (Group 155D).

Stigmas are yellow (Group 8B) and are about 1 mm (0.04 inches) long.

Hips of the variety ‘Claire Austin’ have yellow-green colour and pitcher shaped.

PLANT
Rose variety ‘Claire Austin’ classified as a Shrub rose and part of David Austin’s English Rose collection. The vigorous and strong. Forms large, upright and bushy plant with stems slightly arching. The mature and well-established plant reaches the height from 135 cm to 375 cm (4ft – 12ft) when trained as a climber, and the width varies from 90 to 125 cm (3ft – 4ft).

Due to its size can be grown both as a shrub and as a climber, decorating small objects such as doorways, arches, obelisk and pillars as well as large fences and brick walls or structures. This rose tolerates shady areas well but at the same time grows well in sun.

Foliage:
There is a normal quantity of leaves on this variety. The number of leaflets on a normal mid-stem leaves is 7, including terminal leaflet. The leaves are medium sized, the length is about 14.5 cm (5.71 inches) and the width is about 9.5 cm (3.74 inches). The number of leaves per flowering stem is 10.

The new foliage on the upper side is yellow green (Group 144A) with greyed-purple (Group 181A) around the margin. The lower side is yellow green (Group 146B) with red tinge, which is not concentrated enough to determine color.

The old foliage has green colour (Group 137A) on the upper side and greyed-green colour (Group 191A) on the lower side.

Leaflets:
The average leaflet has size of about 5 cm (1.97 inches) long 3 cm (1.18 inches) wide. The shape is oval with obtuse base shape and cuspidate apex’s shape. The leaflet texture is leathery, edges are serrated, the type of serrations is single.

Petiole has medium brown green colour (Group 138A); length of about 4 cm (1.57 inches) and the width of about 2 mm (0.08 inches); the surface texture is prickly. Petiole rachis is medium brown green (Group 138A) with prickles on the underside.

Stipules are about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long and serrated; their colour is dark brown green (Group 146B).

Auricle has falcate shape, length of about 10 mm (0.4 inches) and width of about 2 mm (0.08 inches) at base tapering to point. The colour of the auricle is dark brown green (Group 146B).

Veins have dark green colour (Group 137A) and venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:
The new wood has greyed-red colour (Group 181A) and smooth bark. The old wood is yellow-green (Group 144A) and has smooth bark with some rough patches.

Stems:
Usually there are about 3 lateral branches per main stem. The lateral branch has a length of about 40 cm (15.75 inches) and a diameter of about 3 mm (0.12 inches). The mature stem are about 75 cm (29.53 inches) long and have diameter of about 4 mm (0.16 inches). The internode distance is usually about 5 cm (1.97 inches). The above measurements are all variable and highly depend on growing conditions in a season. The pubescence is not present on the stems of this variety.

Prickles:
The quantity of prickles on the main canes from base is ordinary. Their number per stem length is about 4 per 10 cm (4 inches).

On laterals from main canes there are normally few prickles. The number of prickles per stem length is about 2 per 10 cm (4 inches).

The prickles are hooked downward. Their length varies from 5 to 9 mm (0.2 to 0.35 inches). The colour when young are dark brown purple (Group 184A). The colour when mature is dark brown (Group 177A) and some light brown (Group 165D).

Small prickles:
The small prickles are absent on the stems of rose variety ‘Claire Austin’.

Disease resistance:
The variety showed good disease resistance to mildew, blackspot, botrytis and rust. Pest resistance has not been tested.

The variety is suitable for growing in a garden, suitable for growing in climate zones similar to USDA 6 and warmer without winter protection, in colder climates requires winter protection.

Claire Austin is David Austin’s daughter. She has a nursery which specialises in hardy plants, including the UK's finest collection of irises, peonies and day lilies.

English Climbing Rose

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY
The rose variety ‘Ausprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’ was originated by David Austin by crossing two unnamed, unpatented varieties of Rosa hybrida.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY
The primary objective of this breeding was to produce a very healthy repeat flowering variety having large, creamy-white blooms with a strong myrrh fragrance and strong arching growth.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY
Among the features which distinguish this variety from other varieties is the following combination of characteristics: large, creamy-white blooms and a strong myrrh fragrance and strong arching growth. The asexual reproduction of this variety by budding as performed in greenhouses at Bowling Green Lane in Albrighton, The UK, showed that the foregoing and other distinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. ‘Ausprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’ may be asexually propagated by budding and grafting.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS
The rose ‘Ausprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics: whereas the parent has yellow blooms and a tea fragrance, ‘Ausprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’ bears flowers of creamy-white and a myrrh fragrance and has a strong arched growing habit.

The variety ‘Ausprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent, by the following combination of characteristics: whereas the pollen parent bears pink blooms, ‘Ausprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’ bears flowers of a creamy-white.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR
The closest commercially available cultivar to the new variety is the ‘Ausrelate’ / 'Lichfield Angel'. The ‘Ausprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’ rose may be distinguished from the ‘Ausrelate’ / 'Lichfield Angel' variety by the following combination of characteristics: the ‘AUSrelate’ has fewer petals, creamy apricot blooms and semi-glossy leaves compared to ‘Ausprior’ / ‘Claire Austin’, which has a greater number of petals, creamy-white blooms and more matt leaves.

USDA zone 6 and warmer