Rose Francine Austin

Delicate rose with Noisette Charm, stands apart from typical English Roses as a graceful, constantly blooming shrub with a distinct Noisette influence. The small buds, often tinged with pink, open into tiny, pure white rosettes, sometimes revealing yellow stamens at their centers. Each flower is exquisitely formed and slightly reflexed, giving a light, ethereal look to the sprays. These blooms appear in large, airy clusters of 10–30, often more abundant in autumn, and continue to be produced almost nonstop from spring through to early winter. In cooler weather, the flowers may take on a blush-pink tint, adding seasonal variety. The fragrance is light yet enchanting, a soft blend of musk and Old Rose, evoking the heritage of the early Hybrid Musks and Noisette roses. The flowers are held well apart on thin, wiry stems, enhancing their dainty, scattered appearance and making them ideal for floral arrangements and soft garden compositions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Francine Austin' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the "Methuen Handbook of Colour" published by Eyre Methuen Ltd. (1963), 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 an abundant and continual 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 'Francine Austin' rose variety are small, about 0.75 to 1.25 cm long and 0.4 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is oval with a rounded base and cuspidate apex. When opening the bud color is pale green (Group 29A3) and pastel green / light green (Group 29A4) at the base blushed with pale red / Venetian pink (Group 10A3) and pale red / pastel red (Group 10A4), deepening further to the edges of some petals to geranium red / red (Group 11B7).

Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back.

The sepals have a length of about 1.0 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is tomentose on the upper surface and densely tomentose on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is deep green / parrot green (Group 30E8) with variable reddish blotching and blushing and on the lower surface the colour is also deep green / parrot green (Group 30E8) but more densely tomentose. There are ensiform protrusions and sparse red glandular hair appendaged sepals on the outer margins of the sepals while the inner margins are densely tomentose, the edges are finely hairy.

The receptacle is greenish grey (Group 28B2), jug shaped and has a tomentose surface. The size of the receptacle is small, about 0.6 cm long and about 0.4 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium sized, has variable length of 3.0 to 4.5cm, of a normal strength and has a few prickles and hairs on some outer petals surface. The colour of the peduncle is pale green (Group 29A3) with pale red / Venetian pink blush (Group 10A3) deepening to geranium red (Group 11B7) at edges.

Bloom:

The flowers are small, the average diameter of the open flower is about 3 to 4 cm. When first open, the flower form is very flattened, outer petals curling down towards the stem, the flower form persists until the end. Flowers are full, the number of petals under normal conditions varies from 45 to 55. They are born in large clusters of 40 to 80 blooms together.

When first open the colour of the upper sides of the outer petals is pale yellow (Group 1A3) faintly blushed with pink towards center of top and with basal petal spot of pastel yellow colour (Group 2A4); the colour of the upper surface of the inner petals is white to faint yellowish white with fair pink blush paler than reddish white / pinkish white (Group 9A2) and the base of the petals has basal petal spot of pastel yellow colour (Group 2A4). The reverse side of the outer petals is pale yellow (Group 1A3) blushed with pinkish white around the centre top while the reverse of the inner petals is the same as the upper side but pink blush is more pronounced.

When fully open the color of the flowers on the upper sides of the petals is pale yellow (Group 1A3) but pink tinge less pronounced, more obvious on the central petals and the basal tips have orange yellow shadings. The reverse sides of the petals are pale / yellowish white (Group 2A2) fading to pinkish white (Group 14A2).

When finishing blooming the flowers the colour on the upper sides of the petals are faint milk white (Group 1A2) with the basal tip of pale / yellowish white (Group 2A2), while the reverse sides of the outer petals are milk white (Group 1A2) and the inner petals having very faint reddish or pinkish white blush on the center of the petals (Group 11A2).

Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

Petals:

The texture of the petals is soft and silky and the surface is smooth; the shape of the very outer petals is rounded with obtuse base and smooth round tops; while the inner petals are ovoid with flattish top and acute base.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 5-10 on average, they have the same colour as the colour of the petals.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, they normally drop off cleanly from the plants. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly long, on the plant they last for about 10 - 14 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is about 7 to 10 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Francine Austin' is strong, musky.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 10-20 on average per flower.

The anthers have a normal length and primary yellow / primrose colour (Group 2A6).

The colour of the filaments is pale yellow (Group 2A3), and they are of irregular heights.

The number of pistils is 18 on average.

The colour of the styles is greyish yellow (Group 1B4) with brownish red streaks, and the styles are of irregular heights.

Stigma is straw coloured and has a normal length.

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed.

PLANT

The rose variety 'Francine Austin' is classified as a Shrub rose. The growth habit is wide-spreading, arching, and naturally elegant, more horizontal than vertical in shape. While initially compact, the shrub may become open or awkward over time unless rejuvenated with occasional hard pruning. Its long, flexible canes can also be trained against a wall or trellis, where it performs admirably as a small climber, creating a light and cascading effect. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 90 - 150 cm and the width of about 90 - 120 cm.

The overall visual effect of the plants is soft, airy, and old-fashioned, perfectly suited to informal garden borders or romantic, woodland-style plantings. Though not formally categorized as an English Rose, 'Francine Austin' shares the refinement and romantic appeal of Austin’s more traditional varieties. Its continuous blooming, flexibility of form, and delicate appearance make it a versatile and beloved garden rose.

Foliage:

There is a vigorous quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose variety. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves varies from 3 to 7, but mainly there are 7 leaflets present, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is olive (Group 1E6) with tips of serrations of deep red colour while the lower sides are olive (Group 1E5) with blotchy reddish blush, and a slightly potted effect. The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 29F7) and on the lower side is greyish green / spinach green (Group 29E6).

Leaflets:

The leaflets are small, about 2.1 cm long. The shape of the leaflets is lanceolate, the shape of the leaflet tip is cuspidate 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 is slender and has greyish green / spinach green colour (Group 29E6) with reddish groove and small prickles on the upper side, the lower surface is glabrous and sparse downwardly pointed prickles and very occasional reddish glandular hairs.

The stipules are 1.5 - 2.0 cm long, about 4 - 7 mm wide. The angle of wingtips to petiole is about 45° to petiole and downwardly curved. The colour of the stipules is pastel green / light green colour (Group 30A4) with pectinate and serrated red coloured margins. The shape of the stipules is long and narrow.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has deep green / parrot green colour (Group 30E8) with faint red blushing and spotting on one side of stem, the bark is smooth. The mature wood is greyish green (Group 29D7) and deep green (Group 29D8), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The stem pubescence is not observed on the stems of this rose variety.

Prickles:

On the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes there is a normal quantity of prickles. Lower nodes with occasional red thorns, hooked downwards with broad base.

Small prickles:

There are few glabrous, occasional brownish red small prickles on the main canes of this rose and on the laterals from the main canes.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Francine Austin' has good resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to mildew, blackspot and rust under normal growing conditions. 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.

David Austin named this rose in honor of his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son, David J. C. Austin.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausram’ / 'Francine Austin' originated by David Austin by crossing female parent (seed parent) ‘Alister Stella Gray’ with the male parent (pollen parent) ‘Ballerina’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety with an vigorous abundant and continual blooming that occurs for 5 months taken with the perfection of the full flowers of an old-fashioned shape.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 full flowers of faint yellowish white and pale yellow / faint pink giving an overall white coloring;

 abundant and continual blooming and the unusual shaping of the flowers;

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.

USDA 6