Rose Graham Thomas

One of the most exquisite English Roses. Has medium-sized, cupped blooms that are rich, pure yellow in color. It has a medium Tea fragrance with a cool violet character. The rose is bushy, upright, vigorous, and freely branching, dressed up in attractive, smooth medium green foliage.

DESCRIPTION
The Rose ‘Graham Thomas’ is known for its outstanding characteristics. It is highly vigorous, branches freely, have slightly arching growth manner, and consistently produces flowers throughout the season. In warmer climates, it can sometimes grow too robustly, developing long climbing shoots. If you prefer to maintain this rose as a shrub, these shoots should be pruned.

The noisette old rose ‘Conrad Ferdinand Meyer’ played a crucial role as the progenitor of the ‘Graham Thomas’. It’s noisette lineage contributed to the creation of the widely admired ‘Graham Thomas’ as its growth pattern and foliage is also inherited the characteristics of the noisette roses, adding vibrant yellow hue, a color that was much sought after.

It is still regarded as one of the finest English Roses, ‘Graham Thomas’ has significantly contributed to their popularity since its introduction alongside ‘Mary Rose’ at The Chelsea Flower Show in 1983.

The flowers are medium sized, with an average diameter of 9 cm when fully open, having a perfect cupped shape. They appear in small clusters of mostly 5 to 7 together, having irregular shape.

The scent of ‘Graham Thomas’ is another fine example of an English Rose with a prominent Tea Rose fragrance with a cool violet character.

Forms quite large, bushy shrub, with slightly arching branches. The average height of the mature plant is about 150 – 180 cm and the width is about 125 cm. Has very dense foliage of delightful pale medium green colour which perfectly complements the colour of its flowers.

‘Graham Thomas’ is more suited to being trained as a climber rather than a shrub. In fact, it’s considered one of the best English climbing roses. It can effortlessly scale up to 3m/10ft on a wall, where it will continually bloom all season long.

The variety is resistant to powdery and downy mildew, blackspot and rust in normal growing conditions. Pest resistance - not tested.

Has quite good winter hardiness, proved to be hardy in climate zones 5 - 9.

Graham Thomas was a frequent visitor to David Austin’s nursery and offered encouragement and advice. He personally selected this rose that now bears his name.

Graham Thomas, was a British horticulturist and one of the most influential gardeners of his time, collected Old Roses that became the foundation of the National Collection at Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire.

He was instrumental in reintroducing Old Roses and is credited with paving the way for the development of English Roses.

English Shrub Rose

The Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993

Henry Edland Medal for Fragrance in 2000.

Inducted into the Rose Hall of Fame in 2009 as "World's Favourite Rose"

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY
This variety of rose ‘Ausmas’ / ‘Graham Thomas’ originated by David Austin by crossing the variety ‘Ausfather’ / ‘Charles Austin’ with the unnamed seedling, unpatented which was a result of cross pollination of the lineage which can be summarized by following: [‘ ‘Korbin’ / ‘Iceberg’ by Reimer Kordes, 1958 x unnamed seedling, unpatented ].

Therefore the formula of cross pollination has following:

Seed parent - ‘Ausfather’ / ‘Charles Austin’ .

Pollen parent – unnamed, unpatented seedling of the lineage [‘Korbin’ / ‘Iceberg’ by Reimer Kordes, 1958 x unnamed seedling, unpatented].

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS
‘Ausmas’ / ‘Graham Thomas’ have a slightly arching growth, the stems have a bit more prickles and foliage is medium green comparing to the more upright and stronger growth habit, fewer prickles and bronze-green leaves of ‘Aufather’ / ‘Charles Austin’ and its flowers have very rich yellow, deep cupped flowers comparing to rich apricot-yellow, cupped rosette flowers of ‘Aufather’ / ‘Charles Austin’.

No information is available to Roses ABC about the characteristics of the pollen parent.

USDA zone 5 and warmer