Rose Edith

'Edith' is a captivating rose variety with striking two-toned blooms and rich fragrance. The flowers feature a blend of old gold, apricot, and yellow at the center, encircled by soft pink outer petals, creating a vivid and unusual appearance reminiscent of a midsummer sunset. This rose emits a strong, fruity scent with undertones of myrrh. 'Edith' opens from a cup shape to form a classic, quartered rosette and is known for its flamboyant personality, making it a standout choice for various floral arrangements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Edith' 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. 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, but there are too many to count.

Flower bud:

The flower buds of 'Edith' rose variety are medium sized, about 1.8 cm long and 1.6 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is medium red (Group 47B). When half open, the upper sides the lower sides of the petals are two toned, medium yellow (Group 12A) and light red pink (Group 36A).

Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back, the length is about 8 cm and the diameter is 8 cm.

The sepals have a length of about 2.9 cm and a width of 1 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is downy on the upper surface and glandular on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is medium green (Group 143C) and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 143C) with some dark red (Group 47A). There are from 0 to 2 very lightly appendaged sepals and there are from 3 to 5 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is light green (Group 144B) with dark red (Group 47A), funnel shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is large and broad, about 1.2 cm long and about 1.6 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium averaging to about 8 cm in length, of a strong strength and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is light green (Group 144B) with dark red (Group 47A).

Bloom:

The flowers are very large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 11 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped quartered rosette, the flower form persists until the end, outer petals curl back. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 87. They are born mostly singly or may hold between 1 and 4 blooms, and then has a flat shape. When grown commercially for cut-flower production the stems are disbudded to ensure the blooms are grown singly. The flowering stem is strong, long, and has an average length of about 60 cm with a diameter of about 4 mm.

When first open the colour of the upper sides of the petals is medium yellow (Group 5A) and the reverse sides of the petals are medium yellow (Group 6C) and the base of the petals have no yellow spot. For the outer petals, which are distinctly different from the yellow petals making up the inner portion of the flower, the color on the upper and lower side is medium blue pink (Group 65A) and light blue pink (Group 65B). The base of the outer petals are medium yellow (Group 6C). Under normal growing conditions the variegation is not observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is medium yellow (Group 5A), at the end of the third day the general tonality does not change, remaining medium yellow (Group 5A).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is satiny and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is obovate, the margins are strongly undulating. The apex is mainly rounded and notched on some. The petals are more frilly towards the center of the bloom and the base of the petals is obtuse, and the petals form is incurved. Average length of the petals is about 6 cm and the width is about 4.8 cm. The arrangement of the petals is informal.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 15 on average. Petaloids have medium yellow colour (Group 5A), they are about from 1 to 7 mm long and from 0.5 to 4 mm in width. Petaloids have irregular obovate shape and irregular margin.

The petals of this rose variety normally hang on and dry, therefore the deadheading of the faded flowers is required for this rose variety. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly long, on the plant they last for about 9 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is also about 9 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Edith' is moderate, fruity, with undertones of myrrh.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 40 on average per flower, the length is about 12 mm, they are mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have a length of about 3 mm and have medium yellow colour (Group 5A).

The colour of the filaments is dark yellow (Group 13A), their length is 12 mm on average.

The pollen is dark yellow (Group 15A).

The number of pistils is 50 on average, they are about 14 mm long.

The colour of the styles is white (Group 155C) with dark blue pink (Group 63B) and are about 10-13 mm long.

Stigma are about 1 mm long and have a dark yellow colour (Group 14B).

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Edith' is classified as a Shrub rose and is a part of David Austin’s Wedding and Event Roses collection. The growth character is moderately vigorous, upright, and rather narrow. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 60 - 100 cm and the width of about 45 cm. 'Edith' is suitable for gardens and floral designs seeking a touch of elegance and drama.

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 is typically 5, including the terminal leaflet. The average flowering stem has about 10 leaves. The foliage is large, about 19 cm long and about 14 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 146A) overlaid with dark purple red (Group 59A) while the lower side is dark brown purple (Group 183B). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 147A) and on the lower side is dark brown green (Group 146B) with dark brown purple (Group 183B).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is large, about 7 cm long and about 5.5 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is pointed oval, the shape of the leaflet tip is acuminate and the base shape is cordate. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is double and large.

The petiole has light green colour (Group 144B) with dark brown purple (Group 183B), is about 5.5 cm long and 2 mm in diameter, and has a rough surface texture.

The petiole rachis is light green colour (Group 144B) with dark brown purple (Group 183B), has a glandular surface with some prickles on the underside.

The auricle is lanceolate, has a length of about 1 cm and about 2 mm wide. The colour of the auricle is light green (Group 144B).

The stipules are 3 cm long, have a glandular surface and light green colour (Group 144B).

The veins have the same colour as the leaf, the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has dark brown purple colour (Group 183B) and smooth bark. The mature wood is dark brown green (Group 147A), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The number of lateral branches is 2 on average, they have a length of about 30 cm and the diameter is 4 mm on average. The mature stem has an average length of about 60 cm and the diameter of 5 mm, the internode distance is 6 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 many prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes, about 50 per 10 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is deep concave, the length is about 6 mm. The colour of the young prickles is dark purple red (Group 60B); the mature prickles have grey brown colour (Group 199C).

Small prickles:

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

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Edith' 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 7 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

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 ‘Auspluto’ / 'Edith' originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with an unnamed, unpatented seedling of class Rosa hybrida.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new English Rose variety suitable for cut-flower production having very large flowers with a distinct two-tone coloration having rich yellow centers and pink outer petals with a fruity 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:

 very large yellow centered flowers with pink outer petals;

 medium 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 ‘Auspluto’ / ‘Edith’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 the seed parent has a deeply-cupped, pink bloom compared with the two-tone yellow and pink bloom of ‘Auspluto’ / ‘Edith’.

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

 the pollen parent has characteristic hybrid tea blooms that are yellow compared with the loosely arranged petals and two-tone blooms of ‘Auspluto’ / ‘Edith’.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivars to the ‘Auspluto’ / ‘Edith’ are the ‘Auslevity’ / ‘Beatrice’ and may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 the ‘Auslevity’ / ‘Beatrice’ has a similar yellow center bloom, but the outer petals are creamy white, whereas in ‘Auspluto’ / ‘Edith’ the outer petals are a deep pink.

 In addition, as the buds begin to open the ‘Auspluto’ / ‘Edith’ bloom first shows pink, while the ‘Auslevity’ / ‘Beatrice’ bloom first shows a yellow colour.

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