Rose Constance

’Constance’ is an enchanting shrub rose with cream and blush pink petals that blend like watercolor on paper, evoking the elegance of silk tulle in a ball gown. This variety produces medium to large, very full blooms with many petals in a deep cupped shape which when fully open reveal a creamy blush center that contrasts beautifully with her deeper pink outer petals. It enchants with a strong, fruity fragrance with notes of apples and pears, making it perfect for both gardens and cut-flower arrangements due to its long vase life.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Constance' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society (2001), 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 continuous flowering habit, this rose variety is suitable for cut flower production under greenhouse conditions. In greenhouse conditions, it is able to bloom all year round. The number of blooms per plant of this rose variety during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count.

Flower bud:

The flower buds of 'Constance' rose variety are medium sized, about 2 cm long and 1.7 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is broad based. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is dark purple red (Group 60B). When half open, the upper and the lower sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group 60D) on the margin with light yellow in the middle (Group 3D).

Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back, the length is about 8.2 cm and the diameter is 8.2 cm.

The sepals have a length of about 3.5 cm and a width of 0.9 - 1.2 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is hirsute on the upper surface and glandular on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is medium brown green (Group 138B) and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 143C). There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 144A), funnel shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 1 cm long and about 1.1 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium averaging to about 8 cm in length, strong and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is medium green (Group 144A).

Bloom:

The flowers are large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 9 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped, the flower form flattens toward the end and becomes more rosette shaped. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 140. They are born in small clusters, of 4 - 6 blooms, having rounded shape. The flowering stems are strong and long, about 60 cm. When grown commercially for cut-flower production the stems are disbudded to ensure the blooms are grown singly.

The colour of the upper sides of the petals is light blue pink (Group 65B) fading to white (Group N155C) closer to the base. The reverse sides of the petals are light blue pink (Group 75D) fading to white (Group N155C) closer to the base. The base of the petals are light yellow (Group 3D) on the inner side and light yellow (Group 4D) on the outer side. The variegations is not observed on the flowers of this variety.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is light blue pink (Group 65B), at the end of the third day the general tonality becomes lighter, light blue pink (Group 75D). Further the colours fading slowly further changing to white (Group N155C).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is satiny and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is mainly obovate but but inside the 3-rd outer whorl of the petals, many petals are folded to varying degrees, with margins having cuspidate tips with little reflexing of the margin. The apex is rounded, with cuspidate tips and the base of the petals is acute, and the petals form is incurved. Length of the petals is variable, the width varies from about 1.5 to 5 cm and the length varies from 2 to 5.3 cm. The arrangement of the petals is rosette.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 5 on average. Petaloids have light yellow colour (Group 6D), they are about 0.6 mm long and 0.3 mm width. Petaloids have an oval shape and entire margin.

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 5 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is 10 days on average.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Constance' is strong and fruity with hints of apples and pears.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 6-10 on average per flower, their length is about 5 mm, they are mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have a length of about 2.5 mm and medium yellow orange colour (Group 14C).

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow (Group 4A), their length is 3 mm on average.

The pollen is medium yellow orange (Group 23A).

The number of pistils is 40 on average, they are about 14.5 mm long.

The colour of the styles is light yellow orange (Group 158D) and the length is about 14 mm.

Stigma are about 5 mm long and are medium yellow (Group 3B).

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Constance' is classified as a Shrub rose, although it has mostly features of the Hybrid Tea and Florists roses. This rose is a part of David Austin’s Wedding and Event Roses collection. The growth character is moderately vigorous. It forms upright and slightly outwardly plants. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 90 - 130 cm and the width of about 75 cm.

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 average flowering stem has about 11 leaves. The foliage is medium sized, about 15 cm long and about 11 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is medium green (Group 144A) with dark purple red (Group 60A) at the very edges while the lower side is medium green (Group 144A). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 147A) and on the lower side is medium brown green (Group 138A).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium, they are about 6.5 cm long and are about 4 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is pointed 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 dark green colour (Group 137A), is about 4 cm long and 2 mm in diameter, and has a prickly surface texture.

The petiole rachis is medium green (Group 143C) on the underside and medium brown green (Group 137C) on the upper side, the surface is with prickles on the underside.

The auricle is medium green (Group 143A), lanceolate, has a length of about 5 cm and about 2 mm wide.

The stipules are 2.9 cm long, have glandular surface and medium green colour (Group 143C).

The veins have dark green (Group 137A), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has brown red colour (Group 181B) and smooth bark. The mature wood is medium green (Group 144A), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 76 cm and the diameter of 8 mm, the internode distance is 3-5 cm. 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 prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes, about 14 per 30 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is deep concave, the length is about 9 mm. The colour of the young prickles is brown red (Group 181B) while the mature prickles have light green brown colour (Group 160A).

Small prickles:

Under normal growing conditions 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 'Constance' is disease resistant, particularly to mildew, blackspot and rust in greenhouse conditions, with on average day temperature maintained at 17.5 degrees C. In open air and garden conditions it is susceptible to mildew and black spot. The pest resistance has not been tested yet.

The cold hardiness is rather weak, it is not well suited for cold winters, however it is recorded that it can withstand winter in the garden in climates similar to USDA 7 and warmer.

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

Wedding and Event Roses collection

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Austruss’ / 'Constance' originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with an unnamed, unpatented seedling of Rosa hybrida.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new English rose having large blooms of a pink blend, which are double, many-petalled and of a deep cup shape, and having a strong fruity fragrance coupled with a long vase life suitable for cut-flower commercial production.

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 full blooms;

 A long vase life;

 A distinctive blend of pink, cream and white colour of the flowers;

 Strong, fruity 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 ‘Austruss’ / ‘Constance’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 the seed parent is a hybrid tea type seedling and has purple color compared with the pink blend and old-fashioned, English Rose type shape of the flower of ‘Austruss’ / ‘Constance’.

The ‘Austruss’ / ‘Constance’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent has pink double English Rose type flowers with fewer petals and a lax growth compared with the upright growth of ‘Austruss’ / ‘Constance’ and fuller flowers.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivar to the ‘Austruss’ / ‘Constance’ is the English florists rose ‘Ausboxer’ / ‘Keira’ and they may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 While the petals of both have a pink blend, the blend is different with a red-purple shade being more prevalent in ‘Austruss’ / ‘Constance’ while a white shade is more prevalent in ‘Ausboxer’ / ‘Keira’.

  Finally, the buds of ‘Ausboxer’ / ‘Keira’ are more elongated than those of ‘Austruss’ / ‘Constance’.

USDA 7