Rose Gentle Hermione

’Gentle Hermione’ has large and perfectly formed, shallowly cupped flowers of pure light pink fading to soft blush on the outer petals. The gentle petals of this variety are offset by the attractive and large foliage which starts out as red at first, later turning dark green. The fragrance is strong, warm with Old rose character and prominent myrrh scent. Forms quite broad shrub with slightly arching branches.

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.

FLOWER

The flowering of this variety is recurrent. 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 buds are about 3.2 cm long and 2.2 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl, the bud form is pointed ovoid. When sepals first divide, the bud color is light red pink (Group 38C). When half blown, the upper sides of the petals are white (Group 155D) and light blue pink (Group 55C) closer to the margin; and the lower sides of the petals are white (Group 155D) with pink (Group 52D) on the margin.

The sepals on the lower surface are medium green coloured (Group 143A) overlaid with pots of medium brown purple (Group 182A). The sepals have a length of about 3.5 cm and the width of about 1.2 cm. The shape of the sepals is subulate, the surface texture on the upper surface is pubescent and on the lower surface is smooth. There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and 2 unappendaged sepals with canescent edges.

The colour of the receptacle is light green (Group 144A) with shading of dark brown purple (Group 183C), the surface texture is smooth. Their shape is campanulate and they are medium sized, about 1.1 cm long and 1.1 cm wide.

The peduncle is long and strong, averaging to about 13 cm, the surface is glandular. The colour of the peduncle of this rose variety is light green (Group 144A) with tint of dark red, not concentrated enough to determine RHS color code.

Bloom:

The flowers of ‘Gentle Hermione’ are large, the average open diameter is about 9.65 cm. When first open they flowers have a very neat and well formed cupped shape. The flowers retain their form until the end. The flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is about 90-100. They are born several together in rounded shaped clusters, of 5 to 12 blooms.

The colour of the flowers upon opening on the upper sides of the petals are light blue pink around the margin (Group 56C) fading to white (Group 155D) closer to center. The reverse sides of the petals are lighter light blue pink around the margin (Group 56D) fading to white Group 155D in center. The bases of the petals are medium yellow (Group 8B). The major color on the upper side is light blue pink (Group 56D) around the margin fading to white (Group 155D) in the center. Under normal growing conditions there are no variegations observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is light blue pink (Group 56D) and white (Group 155D). At the end of the third day is light blue pink (Group 56D) and white (Group 155B).

Petals:

The shape of the inner petals of this rose is obovate and the outer petals have obcordate form. The margins of the petals are flat on some and on some are lacerate; the apex shape is obtuse on some and on some is obcordate; the base is cuneate. They have an incurved form, smooth surface and velvety texture. The width of the petals is 3.4 cm on average and the length is 4.6 cm on average. The petals arrangement is imbricated, regularly arranged, shingle-like.

The number of petaliods per flower is 6 on average. They have fine filament, joined to a petal of small size, others are fused to the petal. The petals have good self cleaning quality, they fall easily and leave a tidy rose plant. They last on a plant for about 3 days. The persistence as a cut flower is short, for about 4 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of this rose is strong, of the sweet Old Rose character and with a hint of myrrh.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is approximately 70, their length is about 8 mm.

The anthers are about 2 mm long and have medium yellow orange colour (Group 17B). They are regularly arranged around the styles, some tucked in calyx or partly so; mixed with petaloids.

The filaments are medium yellow orange (Group 15C) and about 6 mm long.

The pollen is medium yellow orange (Group RHS 17B).

The number of pistils is 69 on average, and their length is about 10 mm.

The styles are mostly yellow (Group RHS 2D) with touch of red pink (Group RHS 8B) just under the stigma, their length is 9 mm on average.

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

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

PLANT

Rose variety ‘Gentle Hermione’ has a vigorous and bushy growth habit. It is classified as a Shrub rose. Forms an attractive, quite broad shrub, with slightly arching stems. The mature and well established plant has a height of about 125 cm and is about 90 - 140 cm in diameter.

Foliage:

There is a normal quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose variety. The leaves are large, about 18.8 cm long and 13.1 cm wide on average. The average flowering stem has about 12 leaves. The new foliage on the upper side is medium brown green (Group 137C), with grayed-purple (Group 185A) along margin and serrations; while the lower side is dark brown green (Group 146B), overlaid with grayed-purple (Group 185B). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 139A) and the lower side is medium brown green (Group 137C).

Leaflets:

The leaflets are large, about 7.4 cm long and 5.5 cm wide. Their shape is ovate, with cordate base shape and acuminate apex. The edges of the leaflets are serrated, the type of serration is single and medium.

The colour of the petiole is medium green (Group 144A), about 7 cm long and 2 mm in diameter, the surface is smooth.

Petiole rachis has light green colour (Group 145B) and smooth underside. The stipules are about 2.2 cm long, their margin is glandular and the colour is dark brown green (Group 146B). The auricle shape is subulate.

The veins have light green colour (Group RHS 145B), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The colour of the new wood is dark purple red (Group 185A), the bark is smooth. The colour of the mature wood is dark brown green (Group 146B), the bark is smooth.

Stems:

The length of the mature stems is 60 cm on average, and their average diameter is about 7 mm. The internode distance between the leaves is about 4 - 5 cm. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season.

Prickles:

There is a normal quantity of prickles on the main canes from base, about 6 per 5 cm of the stem length. On laterals from main canes there are also about 6 prickles per 5 cm of the stem length. The prickles have a concave shape, curved inward, the length of the prickles is about 9 mm. The colour of the young prickles is dark brown purple (Group 183A) and the mature prickles have the same dark brown purple colour (Group 183A).

Small prickles:

There are some small prickles on the main stalks of ‘Gentle Hermione’ , their number per stem length is about 9 per 5 cm of the stem length. On laterals from the main canes there are about 6 prickles per 5 cm of the stem length. The colour of the small prickles is the same as the colour of the large prickles, grayed-purple (Group 183A).

Disease resistance:

Rose variety ‘Gentle Hermione’ has very good resistance to most common rose pathogens. It is resistant to powdery and downy mildew, blackspot and rust in normal growing conditions. Pest resistance has not been tested yet.

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

This rose was named after a heroine of Shakespeare's, The Winter’s Tale. Hermione is the faithful wife of Leontes, the King of Sicilia.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The rose variety ‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione’ originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with an unnamed, unpatented seedling.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose breeding was to produce a very free-flowering and healthy variety, having pale pink, cupped blooms and a strong fragrance.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

Among the features which distinguish the rose variety ‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione’ are following unique combination of characteristics that are outstanding in this variety and that distinguish it from its parents, as well as from all other varieties are:

 Shallow-cupped flowers of pure pink paling to soft blush on the outside

 Rounded shrub of medium height with arching stems.

 Strong Old Rose fragrance with hints of myrrh.

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.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

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

 the seed parent has paler green foliage and yellow blooms compared with the pale pink flowers and dark green foliage of ‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione’.

‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 the pollen parent is a shorter shrub with more upright growth than ‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione’ and it has a less formal petal arrangement.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The closest commercially available cultivar to ‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione’ is ‘Ausham’ / ‘Geoff Hamilton’, which has fuller, but smaller blooms than ‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione’ and makes a larger shrub. ‘Ausham’ / ‘Geoff Hamilton’ also has fewer thorns than ‘Ausrumba’ / ‘Gentle Hermione’ .

USDA 5