Rose Country Blues

'Country Blues' is a modern florist’s “garden-style” rose. Its large, quartered blooms open into a distinctive clover- or heart-shaped rosette of more than 50 ruffled petals in saturated berry-lavender tones, backed by medium-green, glossy foliage on sturdy, straight stems of 40–80 cm. A light sweet fragrance, excellent vase life (8–10 days) and good disease tolerance make it prized both by growers and by floral designers who want an instantly “vintage” focal rose.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

FLOWERING

This rose variety has a continuous flowering habit. In the greenhouse it is able to flower year round, and in a garden it blooms in flushes with short breaks from summer until frosts. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse.

Bloom:

The flowers of the rose variety 'Country Blues' are large, the bud diameter when the petals start to open is about 5.8 - 6.0 cm and when flowers fully open the diameter is about 8 - 10 cm (~3” - 3” ½). The flowers are very full, the number of petals per flower is 52 on average. The shape of the flowers is quite complicated, it starts as high-centered, and quickly transitions to quartered heart–shaped rosette; the centre of the flower divides into three-four lobes reminiscent of a four-leaf clover. They fully open as a garden-styled rose, yet retain the tidy rosette shape.

The colour of the flowers add another dimension of its beauty, it is best described as deep magenta-pink suffused with lavender and mauve. The marketed colour codes range from “hot pink” to “soft berry lavender,” shifting slightly as the flower opens. As the flower ages the colour becomes lighter and more one toned.

The flowers appear on the plant singly or in small clusters, of 2 - 3 together. This rose is valued for premium quality stems and able to produce strong and long flowering stems of about 40 - 80 cm long. The flowers lasts long, on the plant they last for about 8 - 10 days and as a cut flower they can last for about 15 - 18 under normal climate conditions.

The fragrance of the rose variety 'Country Blues' is light, sweet “old-rose” scent, noticeable at close range but not overpowering.

PLANT

Rose variety 'Country Blues' is classified as Hybrid Tea rose of premium florist quality. They form a compact but vigorous shrub with strong, upright flowering shoots—ideal for greenhouse cutting or as a border specimen. A mature and well-established plant has a height of about 100 - 120 cm and the width of about 45 cm.

Purple-magenta roses traditionally convey enchantment, creativity and “love at first sight.” With its heart-shaped centre, 'Country Blues' lends itself to bridal work, Valentine designs and luxe everyday bouquets where a single stem can act as a conversation piece.

There is a normal quantity of foliage on the plants of this rose variety. The foliage is pinnate, the number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves varies from 5 to 7 leaflets, including the terminal leaflet. The young growth and foliage is medium-green with bronze-red blush, especially concentrated on the edges of the leaflets and matures to medium green. The foliage is large, lightly glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and large.

There is a normal quantity of prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes. The shape of the prickles is straight to slightly curved downward, they are pale when young, hardening with age.

The rose variety 'Country Blues' is disease resistant, particularly to mildew, blackspot and rust in greenhouse conditions, with on average day temperature maintained at 17.5 degrees C. In the garden conditions it is somewhat susceptible to black spot and mildew. 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.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Bred in Germany by the renowned house Rosen Tantau and afterwards multiplied by several cut-flower farms in Ecuador, Kenya and elsewhere. Commercialised in the florist trade circa 2018, the origin of this rose is not disclosed.

The variety is listed in professional grower catalogues as “Country Blues” – Rosen Tantau. Production farms in the Andes (Ecuador, Colombia) and on Kenyan plateaux grow this rose variety at large-scale for export as premium cut roses.

USDA 6