Rose Eustacia Vye

This rose has one of the loveliest apricot-pink colour, with each bloom filled with numerous finely ruffled petals. The flowers are supported on stems with a hint of red, starting as shallow cups and opening into full rosettes. The petals, initially a deeper shade, gradually lighten over time. They emit a strong, delightful fruity fragrance. Known for its robust health, this rose variety forms a sturdy, vigorous shrub with an upright, bushy growth habit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description, color references and/or values are based upon The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society (2001) except where common terms of color definition are employed. The following description is of 1 year-old rose plants of the new variety grown in a garden environment in Albrighton, Britain in the month of July. Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climatic conditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWER

The rose variety ‘Eustacia Vye’ has a very good repeat flowering habit. Blooms in flushes, for about a 5 month period. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count.

Flower bud:
The flower buds are medium sized, about 2.2 cm long and 1.7 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid and broad based. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is medium purple red (Group RHS 60D). When half blown, the upper sides of the petals are light blue pink (Group RHS 65B) closer to the edges and medium yellow orange (Group RHS 14C) closer to the base, and the lower sides of the petals light blue pink (Group RHS 65B) and medium yellow orange (Group RHS 14C) closer to the base.

The calyx is star-shaped, with the sepals folding back against the stems, the length is about 5 cm and the diameter is 5 cm on average.

The sepals are regularly arranged. The color of the sepals on the upper surface is light brown green (Group RHS 147D). The lower surface has medium brown green colour (Group RHS 147C) with some medium purple (Group RHS 71B). The length of the sepals is 2 cm on average and the width is 9 mm on average. The shape is lanceolate, the surface texture on the upper and on the lower surfaces is downy. There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals with weak extensions, and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacles are medium sized and funnel shaped, about 1 cm long and about 9 mm wide, have light green colour (Group RHS 144B) and smooth surface texture.

The peduncle is rather short, averaging to about 6 cm, strong and smooth. The colour of the peduncle is light green (Group RHS 144B).

Bloom:
The flowers of ‘Eustacia Vye’ are large, the average open diameter of the flower is about 9 cm. They usually appear on the stem several together approximately 4-14 blooms, having a rounded shape. The flowering stems are strong, average length is about 6 cm and have the diameter of about 3 mm.

When first open, the flower shape is cupped. As the flower ages the flower form persists, becoming slightly flat, outer petals curl back. The lower profile of the bloom is concave. The flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 90 on average.

The colour of the flower from the upper sides of the petals is light blue pink (Group RHS 65C). The reverse sides of the petals are light blue pink (Group RHS 65C). The base of the petals has a large yellow basal spot medium yellow (Group RHS 3B) . Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on its flowers.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is light blue pink (Group RHS 65B), and at the end of the third day becomes slightly lighter, light blue pink (Group RHS 65C).

Petals:
The petals have satiny texture and smooth surface. The shape of the petals is obovate, with rounded apex and acute base; the margins of the petals are ruffled, petal’s form is incurved. The average width of the petals is about 1.7 mm - 2 mm, the length is about 3 cm. The petals arrangement is regular.

On the flowers of this variety there are usually about 10 to 13 petaliods. They have pink colour (Group RHS 49A). They have obovate shape and entire margins, the length varies from 0.6 to 1.5 cm and the width is about 0.4 - 1 cm.

The petals have good self cleaning quality, they fall easily and leave a tidy rose plant. For about 4 days. The persistence as a cut flower has not been tested.

Fragrance:
‘Eustacia Vye’ has a strong and delicious fruity fragrance.

Reproductive parts:
The number of stamens is approximately 20, their length is about 5 mm.

The anthers have a length of about 2.5 mm and medium yellow orange colour (Group RHS 14C), they are usually mixed with petaloids.

The length of the filaments is about 5 mm, the colour is medium yellow orange (Group RHS 14C). (yellow-orange group).

The pollen is scarce and has medium yellow orange colour (Group RHS 17A).

The number of pistils is 40 on average, and their length is about 9-11 mm.

The colour of the styles is mostly white (Group RHS 155A) with dark blue pink (Group RHS 63B) just beneath the stigma, their length is 8 mm on average.

The stigmas are about 1 mm in length and have dark yellow colour (Group RHS 14B).

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

PLANT
This rose variety is classified as a Shrub rose from David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The variety has a vigorous, upright and bushy growth character. It is established rather quickly, it takes about 2 years to establish. The mature and well established plant has a width of about 120 cm and a width of about 90 cm.

Foliage:
There is an abundant number of foliage on this plant. The number of leaves per flowering stem is: approximately 13. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is 5 (including terminal leaflet). The foliage is large, about 15 cm long and 11 cm wide.

The new foliage on the upper side has dark brown green colour (Group RHS 146B), while on the lower side the colour of the foliage is medium brown green (Group RHS 191B) tinged with 182A (Group RHS 182A) . The old foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group RHS 147A) and on the lower side is dark brown green (Group RHS 146B).

Leaflets:
The leaflets are about 6 cm long and about 5 cm wide. They have a pointed oval shape with cordate base shape and acuminate apex shape. The surface texture is leathery, the apearance is semi-glossy, the edges are serrated, the type of serration is medium and single.

The petiole has length of about 4 cm and width is about 2 mm, the surface texture is glandular. The colour of the petiole is dark brown green (Group RHS 146B).

Petiole rachis has dark brown green colour (Group RHS 146B), the underside with prickles.

The stipules are about 1.5 cm long, smooth, and have dark brown green colour (Group RHS 146B). The auricle is lanceolate, has length of about 5 mm and width of about 3 mm. The colour is dark brown green (Group RHS 146B).

The veins have the same dark brown green (Group RHS 146B), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:
The new wood of this rose variety has medium brown purple colour (Group RHS 182A), the bark is smooth. The old wood has dark brown green colour (Group RHS 146B), the bark is smooth.

Stems:
The stems when mature have a length of 100 cm on average, and the average diameter of about 7 mm. The internode distance is 4 cm on average. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season. The flowering branches have a length of about 80 cm and the diameter of the branches is 7 mm on average. There is no pubescence present on the stems of this variety.

Prickles:
There is a normal quantity of prickles of the main stems of this variety. The number per stem length is about 13 per 10 cm. On laterals from main canes there is an ordinary number of prickles, about 13 prickles as well per 10 cm of the stem length. The prickles have a deep concave shape, the length is 5 mm on average. The colour when young is dark purple (Group RHS 60C), when mature the colour of the prickles is dark purple red (Group RHS 60B).

Small prickles:
Usually there are few small prickles on the main stalks of this variety: the number per stem length 2 per 10 cm. On the laterals from the main canes there are few smal;l prickles: about 2 per 10 cm of the stem length. When young the colour of the small prickles is dark purple red (Group RHS 60B), and the colour persists when the small prickles mature.

Disease resistance:
Rose variety ‘Eustacia Vye’ / ‘Sts. Francis and Claire’ has very good resistance to powdery mildew (Podosphaera pannosa), black spot (Diplocarpon rosae) and rust (Phragmidium tuberculatum).It is also moderately resistant to downy mildew (Peronospora species). Pest resistance has not been tested yet.

The cold hardiness is good, recommended for growing in climates similar to USDA 5 and warmer.

Named after the flawed heroine of Thomas Hardy’s, The Return of the Native.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The rose variety ’Ausegdon’/ ‘Eustacia Vye’ / ‘Sts. Francis and Claire’ was bred by David Austin and originated from the cross-pollination of the two ‘unnamed’ and unpatented seedlings of Rosa hybrida.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of the breeding was to produce a strong, vigorous rose shrub with bushy upright growth that bears a rose of soft, glowing apricot pink, each bloom packed with numerous delicately ruffled petals and held on a red-tinged stem where blooms begin as shallow cups, opening to full rosettes which reveal petals of a richer hue which gradually pale over time. The blooms have a strong fruity fragrance.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

Among the features which distinguish ’Ausegdon’/ ‘Eustacia Vye’ / ‘Sts. Francis and Claire’ variety from others is the following combination of characteristics:

 a strong, vigorous shrub of bushy upright growth and good disease resistance;

 blooms the color of soft apricot pink, with many delicately-ruffled petals and red tinged stems where the blooms begin as shallow cups and open to full rosettes with a strong fruity fragrance.

Asexual reproduction of this variety by budding as performed in Albrighton, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, showed that the foregoing and other distinguishing characteristics come true to form and were established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. ’Ausegdon’/ ‘Eustacia Vye’ may be asexually propagated by budding.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

The maternal and paternal parents are two unnamed seedlings. ’Ausegdon’/ ‘Eustacia Vye’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 the seed parent is of a mauve color compared to the apricot pink of ’Ausegdon’/ ‘Eustacia Vye’.

’Ausegdon’/ ‘Eustacia Vye’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 the pollen parent has a paler pink bloom of a more incurved shape, and the plant has a larger broader growth compared to ’Ausegdon’/ ‘Eustacia Vye’.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The closest commercially available cultivar to the rose variety ’Ausegdon’/ ‘Eustacia Vye’ are ‘Ausearnshaw’ / ‘Emily Brontë’ and ‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione'.

The blooms of ’Ausegdon’/ ‘Eustacia Vye’ are pink soft apricot pink (Group RHS 65B), whereas the blooms of ‘Ausearnshaw’ / ‘Emily Brontë’ are light pink (Group RHS 36B) with a yellow center (RHS 10C) and the blooms of ‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione' are light pink (Group RHS 50D).

’Ausegdon’/ ‘Eustacia Vye’ has a cupped rosette blooms with ruffled petals, whereas the blooms of ‘Ausearnshaw’ / ‘Emily Brontë’ are flat rosette topped with a button eye, and the blooms of ‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione' are cupped with entire petals.

The leaves of ’Ausegdon’/ ‘Eustacia Vye’ are medium glossy, whereas the leaves of ‘Ausearnshaw’ / ‘Emily Brontë’ are more glossy and the leaves of ‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione' are matt.

USDA 5