Rose Cressida

‘Cressida’ is a commanding English Rose of exceptional presence, towering, fragrant beauty with Edwardian charm. A cross between the robust Rugosa ‘Conrad Ferdinand Meyer’ and the myrrh-scented ‘Chaucer’, it inherits the best of both: strong growth, a unique apricot-pink color and an unforgettable fragrance.

FLOWERING

Often described as informal yet theatrical, the blooms emerge from fat yellow buds and open in small to large clusters, ranging from 3–7 flowers early in the season to flushes of 15–20 blooms in autumn.

The flowers are massive, richly apricot to buff-pink, sometimes tinged with creamy yellow and fading to near-white at the petal edges. The average size of the open flowers is about 13 cm (5 inches). The flowers are cupped, very full, and sometimes with a button-eye in the center which gives them a romantic, Edwardian quality - like the silk roses once worn by elegant ladies.

What makes ‘Cressida’ especially striking is its luxuriant fragrance: a potent blend of myrrh and fruits, described by some as reminiscent of vintage face cream or summer apricot preserves. This fragrance, along with its color and size, gives the flowers immense sensory appeal.

PLANT

Rose variety ‘Cressida’ is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth habit is tall, upright, and rugged, with thick and long canes. The stems are heavily armed with prickles and have large, rough, rugose-like foliage.

It sends up new long canes regularly, quickly reaching 150 - 300 cm (5 – 10 feet) in height if not pruned, and about 100 - 150 cm (3 – 5 feet) in diameter. This rose can be trained effectively as a freestanding shrub, pegged to the support climber, or wall-trained rose. While it may appear “gawky” when young, the plant matures into a vigorous, sprawling presence in the garden - and is well-suited to decorate the back of a border or as an informal stand alone shrub.

Although it’s somewhat susceptible to mildew, this rarely affects the plant’s remarkable vigor and flower production, especially when grown with good air circulation and minimal pruning. Like many Rugosa descendants, ‘Cressida’ is very prickly, with bold red prickles that stand out even among other English Roses. Looks best in large mixed borders, against fences or walls, background planting, and is suitable for cutting gardens.

The variety is reliably winter-hardy and is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 5 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

‘Cressida’ takes its name from the tragic heroine in Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida, and lives up to that poetic spirit - bold, romantic, and a little wild.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Auscress’ / 'Cressida' originated by David Austin by crossing female parent (seed parent) Rugosa rose ‘Conrad Ferdinand Meyer’ with the pollen parent - English shrub rose ’Auscer’ / ‘Chaucer’.

USDA 5