Rose Crocus Rose

Wonderful English shrub rose plant with a very robust and very branching growth habit. Has large, rosette-shaped flowers, cupped at first, peals reflexing later having a soft apricot color, paling to pale white cream on outer petals; and freely produced flowers held in large clusters, elegantly poised on slightly arching stems.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Crocus Rose' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, 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 recurrent 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 'Crocus Rose' rose variety are medium sized, about 1 cm (0.4 inches) long and 1 cm (0.4 inches) in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is globular. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is light yellow (Group 4D). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are white (Group 155B) and the lower sides of the petals are light yellow (Group 4D).

The sepals have a length of about 1 cm (0.8 inches) and a width of 0.8 cm (0.25 inch). The shape of the sepals is ovate with acuminate apex, they have serrated edges on appendaged sepals. The colour on the upper surface is medium green (Group 143A) and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 143A). 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 small, about 1 cm (0.8 inches) long and about 0.8 cm (0.25 inch) in diameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 4 - 6 cm (1.6-2.4 inches) in length, erect and has a prickly surface. The colour of the peduncle is light green (Group 144B).

Bloom:

The flowers are medium sized, the average diameter of the open flower is about 8 cm (3.2 inches). When first open, the flower form is globular, and when the flower fully opens it reveals a perfectly formed rosette, the flower form persists until the end, with outer petals curled back. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 95 - 110. They are born in small clusters of 3-4 blooms having irregular shape. The flowering stem has an arching character and is strong, having an average length of about 71-81 cm (28-32 inches).

When first open the colour of the upper sides of the petals is white (Group 155B) and the reverse sides of the petals are white (Group 155D), the base of the petals is light yellow (Group 10C). The major color on the upper side is white (Group 155B). Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is light yellow orange (Group 158B), at the end of the third day the general tonality deepens, becoming more light yellow (Group 10D).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is thin and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is circular, the margins are slight frill. The apex is rounded and the base of the petals goes to a point, and the tips of outer petals slightly recurved, center petal edges slightly quill. Average length of the petals is about 4 cm (1.6 inches) and the width is about 3 cm (1.2 inches). The arrangement of the petals is irregular.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 10 on average. Petaloids have lemon colour and have lanceolate shape..

The petals of this rose variety normally hang on and dry. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly long, on the plant they last for about 3-5 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is 3 days on average.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Crocus Rose' is moderate, with tea rose character.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens are tucked in calyx or partly so, mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have medium yellow colour (Group 12A).

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow (Group 4B).

The pollen is medium yellow (Group 8A).

The number of pistils is 40 on average.

The colour of the styles is light yellow green (Group 1C) and are about 1.3 mm (½ inch) long.

Stigma are about 8 mm (1/32 inch) long and are medium yellow (Group 8A).

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Crocus Rose' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is vigorous, dense and branchy, at the same time it is quite neat. Mature and well-established plants have a height of about 125 - 150 cm (4-5 feet) and the width of about 90-125 cm (3-4 feet).

Foliage:

There is a normal 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, about 14.2 cm (5.6 inches) long and about 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 137B) with red tint on edges while the lower side is medium brown green (Group 137D). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 139A) and on the lower side is dark green (Group 137A).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium about 5 cm (2 inches) long and are about 4 cm 1.6 inches) wide. The shape of the leaflets is round and pointed, cuspidate, the tip has pointed shape 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 small.

The petiole has dark brown green colour (Group 146B). The petiole rachis is light green (Group 144B) and has prickles on the underside.

The auricle is pointed. The stipules are 2 cm (0.8 inches) long, have serrated surface.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has light green colour (Group 144B) 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 71-81 cm (28-32 inches). 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 is an ordinary quantity of prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward, the length is about 8 mm. The colour of the young prickles is light green (Group 144C) with dark purple red tips (Group 187C); the mature prickles have medium brown purple colour (Group 181A).

Small prickles:

There are no small prickles observed on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Crocus Rose' has good resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to powdery mildew (podosphaera pannosa), downey mildew (peronospora species), blackspot (diplocarpon rosae) and rust (phragmidium tuberculatum) 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 to 9, and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named for 'The Crocus Trust', which has been set up to help sufferers affected by colon cancer.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausquest’ / 'Crocus Rose' originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling of class Rosa hybrida with the variety ‘Ausgold’ / ‘Golden Celebration’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety having a very free-flowering and healthy plant with flowers of the classic English rose shape and with a good fragrance.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 robust and very branching shrub;

 large, rosette-shaped flowers, cupped at first, petals reflexing later;

 soft apricot color, paling to pale cream on outer petals;  freely produced flowers at the end of slightly arching stems.

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 ‘Ausquest’ / ‘Crocus Rose’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 the seed parent has rose pink flowers compared to apricot colored flowers of ‘Ausquest’ / ‘Crocus Rose’.

The ‘Ausquest’ / ‘Crocus Rose’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent has rounded flowers as compared to rosette-shaped flowers of ‘Ausquest’ / ‘Crocus Rose’.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivars to the ‘Ausquest’ / ‘Crocus Rose’ are the ‘Ausbaker’ / ‘Teasing Georgia’ and they may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 ‘Ausquest’ / ‘Crocus Rose’ is broad and bushy with medium green foliage whereas ‘Ausbaker’ / ‘Teasing Georgia’ has a large, arching growth habit and has dark green foliage.

USDA zone 4 and warmer