Rose Grace N' Grit

A robust and elegant Floribunda hybrid landscape rose, with upright, bushy growth, blooms prolifically from summer through fall with clusters of deep to vivid pink semi-double flowers that cleanly drop off, minimizing maintenance. The foliage is glossy and dense, with strong disease resistance and grows well on its own roots, with a good self-cleaning habit, making it exceptionally low-effort yet high-performance - even in hot, humid, or dry summers across diverse climates.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Grace N’ Grit' is provided with colour descriptions using terminology of the The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society (2001), except where common terms of colour definition are employed. Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climatic conditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil. All measurements are given in centimeters.

FLOWERING
This rose variety has a Repeat 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 'Grace N’ Grit' rose variety are small sized, about 1.9 cm (0.75 in) long and 1.7 cm (0.67 in) in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is conical.

When half open, the upper and the lower sides of the petals are red purple (Group 57A) at their base fading to dark red (Group 53B). Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back.

The sepals have a length of about 2.0 cm (0.79 in) and a width of 0.5 cm (0.2 in). The shape of the sepals is with little extensions (approximately 0.5 cm on average), at the top: narrow and longish, at the base: flat to downward for open flowers, the surface texture is tomentous on the upper surface and smooth on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is medium brown green (Group 148C) on the lower surface is dark brown green (Group 146B).

The receptacle is pitcher shaped in shape, small in size, 0.7 cm long (0.28 in) and 0.5 cm (0.2 in) in diameter. The surface is smooth and the colour is dark brown green (Group 146B).

The peduncle is medium in size, about 3.5 to 4.0 cm (1.38 to 1.57 in) long and approximately 0.3 cm in width, with glandular surface. The colour is dark brown green (Group 146B) with dark purple red (Group 185A) shade.

Bloom:

The bloom is medium in size, about 5 to 7 cm (1.97 to 2.76 in) in diameter, and about 3.0 cm (1.18 in) in height. When first open, the flower form is cup shaped. Flowers are semi-double, the number of petals under normal conditions varies from 12 to 15. The flowers are normally born in small rounded clusters, of 1 to 12 blooms together. The length of the flowering clusters is approximately 12 cm on average when 2 - 12 flowers are present and the width of the flowering clusters is about 9 cm on average when 2 - 12 flowers are present.

When flowers open the colour of the petals on the upper side is red-purple (Group 57A) suffused with near dark red (Group 53B), while on the reverse side the colour is 57A (Group 57A) and red-purple (Group 57B). The base of the petals has a small basal spot of light yellow (Group 2D).

When flowers are fully open the colour of the petals on the upper side is red purple (Group 57B) while on the reverse side the colour is lighter red purple (Group 57C), the base of the petals has a small basal spot of light yellow (Group 2D) on both sides.

Just before the petals start to fade the colour of the petals on the upper and on the under side is red purple (Group 57B) with the base of the petals has a small basal spot of light yellow (Group 2D) on both sides of the petals. Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

Petals:

The texture of the petals is leathery and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is heart shaped with medium petal incision, the apex has rounded shape, the base is obtuse and the margins are not crenated and the undulation is weak. The average length of the petals is about 3.1 cm (1.22 inches) and the width is about 2.7 cm (1.06 inches). The arrangement of the petals is imbricated without petaloids.

The petals of this rose variety have petals drop off cleanly before drying and have good self-cleaning quality. Under normal climate conditions the petals last long, on the plant they last for about 7 - 8 days, and they last in vase also for about 7 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Grace N’ Grit' is not observed.

Reproductive Organs:

The number of stamens is 71 on average per flower, they are regularly arranged around styles.

The anthers have a length of about 1 mm (0.04 in) and they are medium yellow orange in colour (Group 22C).

The filaments are 4 mm (0.16 in) long and pink (Group 44D) in color.

The pollen is light green brown (Group 160A) in color.

The number of pistils is 49 on average.

The styles are 3 mm (0.12 in) long and are light red (Group 44C) in colour.

The stigma is about 1 mm (0.04 in) long and is light yellow green (Group 2C) in color.

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Grace N’ Grit' is classified as a Floribunda rose. The growth character is compact and bushy. The mature and well-established plant has a height of about 100 - 150 cm (3’ 2” - 5’) and the width of about 65 - 120 cm (2’ 1” - 4’).

Foliage:

There is a large quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose variety. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves varies from 3, 5, and to 7, but most often is 7, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized, about 12 cm (4.7 in) long and about 9 cm (3.5 inches) wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 137B) with dark brown purple shade (Group 183A) while the lower side is medium brown green (Group 137C) with dark brown purple (Group 183A). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 147A), while the lower side is medium brown green (Group 147B).

The size of the leaflets is medium, they are about 5.6 cm (2.2 in) long and are about 3.0 cm (1.18 in) wide. The shape of the leaflets is acuminate, the shape of the leaflet tip is pointed and the base shape is obtuse. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is small and single.

The petiole has dark brown green colour (Group 146B) with dark brown green (Group 146B). Their length is about 2.3 cm (0.91 in) long, and the surface is glandular, uwith few prickles on the under surface.

The petiole rachis is medium brown green colour (Group 146D) with dark brown green (Group 146B) on the lower side, the surface is glandular.

The stipules are 0.9 cm (0.35 in) long, have adnate, pectinate and rather broad shape, the width is approximately 0.7 cm on average. The colour of the stipules is dark brown green (Group 146B).

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has dark brown green colour (Group 146B) with flashes of intensity of anthocyanin coloration is low to medium, the bark is smooth. The mature wood is dark brown green (Group 146A), the bark remains smooth.

Branches:

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

Prickles:

There are normal quantities of prickles present on the main canes from base about 7 thorns per 10 cm of the stem length. And on the laterals from main canes of this rose variety there is a normal quantity of prickles, about 9 thorns per 10 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is curved downward on the upper surface and concave on the under surface, base shape is oval, the length is about 9 - 11 mm (0.04 - 0.04 in). The colour of the young prickles is medium yellow brown (Group 164B) and the mature prickles have medium brown (Group 166B).

Small Prickles:

The small prickles are typically not observed on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes of this rose variety.

Disease Resistance:

The rose variety 'Grace N’ Grit' has exceptional disease resistance, particularly against rust (Phragmidium tuberculatum and Phragmidium mucronatum) and black spot (Diplocarpon rosae). The new ‘MEIcerafyn’ / 'Grace N’ Grit' variety has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light intensity and duration, cultural practices, and other environmental conditions. The pest resistance has not been tested yet.

Winter Hardiness:

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA USDA Zone 6 to 9 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Unfortunately we do not have information about the origin of the name of this rose.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY:
The rose variety ‘MEIcerafyn’ / 'Grace N’ Grit' was created by artificial pollination wherein two parents were crossed which previously had been studied in the hope that they would contribute the desired characteristics:  The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) was the rose variety ‘NOAwel’ / ‘Kronjuwel’.   The male parent (i.e., the pollen parent) was the Shrub rose variety ‘RADrazz’ / ‘Knock Out’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY:

The new rose variety ‘MEIcerafyn’ / 'Grace N’ Grit' well meets the needs of the horticultural industry. It can be grown to advantage as ornamentation in parks, gardens, public areas, and in residential settings. Accordingly, the plant is particularly well suited for growing in the landscape.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY:

Rose variety ‘MEIcerafyn’ / 'Grace N’ Grit' is of the Bedding rose plant type and is characterized by the following combination of characteristics:

 very abundantly and nearly continuously forms attractive, cup-shaped, red-purple colored blossoms,

 forms attractive, very dense, glossy foliage,

 exhibits exceptional tolerance to diseases, particularly against rust and Black Spot,

 is very floriferous,

 exhibits a compact, bushy growth habit, and

 is well suited for providing attractive ornamentation;

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 'MEIcerafyn' / 'Grace N’ Grit' may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 The seed parent ‘NOAwel’ / ‘Kronjuwel’ displays a darker coloration of blossoms than that of the 'MEIcerafyn' / 'Grace N’ Grit'.

The 'MEIcerafyn' / 'Grace N’ Grit' may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent ‘RADrazz’ / ‘Knock Out’ exhibits less resistance to rust than the rose 'MEIcerafyn' / 'Grace N’ Grit'.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar and closest rose variety available on the market is the rose variety ‘MEImacota’ / ‘The Grand Champion’ but it displays larger flowers compared to the rose variety 'MEIcerafyn' / 'Grace N’ Grit' .

USDA 6