Rose Immortal Juno

‘Immortal Juno’ is an unusual and now very rare English Shrub rose, remembered above all for exceptionally sumptuous warm-pink flowers, their old-fashioned globular buds and dense, many-petalled centres. The flowers possess a strong fragrance and can have an almost luminous quality in dry, bright weather, while the mature shrub is upright and substantial enough to occupy the middle or back of a mixed border. It is also a cultivar of contrasts: in favourable climates its flowers can be magnificent, yet the densely filled blooms are notably vulnerable to prolonged rain and damp conditions. Its repeat flowering is genuine but less continuous and predictable than that of many later English roses.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

‘Immortal Juno’ belongs to the more romantic and extravagant side of the English rose ideal. Its flowers begin markedly globular, become densely filled cups and ultimately spread into broad, rather flat old-rose rosettes in which the multitude of central petals may form a button-like eye. The flowers are exceptionally large under favourable conditions.

Its chief limitation also explains why it disappeared from David Austin's mainstream catalogue. Historical sources state that the breeder withdrew or ceased recommending the cultivar because the flowers aged or deteriorated badly in wet English weather. Australian and Californian observations, by contrast, describe it much more favourably, suggesting that the cultivar itself is not inherently weak so much as poorly matched to climates where saturated, densely petalled blooms remain wet for long periods. The distinction is important: ‘Immortal Juno’ should not be regarded as a universally weakly performing rose. Rather, it is a cultivar whose ornamental quality depends unusually strongly on rain intensity, air movement and the speed with which flowers dry after rain.

For the modern gardener, therefore, ‘Immortal Juno’ is best considered a collector's English shrub rather than an automatic first choice for low-maintenance landscaping. In a sheltered but well-aired position with good light, fertile soil and protection from persistent rainfall, it can produce flowers of remarkable historic-rose character. Where summers are chronically wet, newer Austin cultivars generally offer greater reliability.

FLOWERING

Rose ‘Immortal Juno’ is a repeat flowering variety, but it does not bloom continuously from early summer to frost. The later repeat of this rose is rather occasional in some climates, especially compared to more modern hybrids. It produces a generally strong first flowering followed by one or more less predictable later flushes, the amount of later blooms depending on climate, plant maturity, nutrition, deadheading and seasonal stress.

The cultivar benefits from prompt removal of spent blooms where hips are not desired. Deadheading cannot transform its genetic rebloom capacity into that of a modern continuous-flowering shrub, but it prevents energy being diverted into seed and helps the plant prepare subsequent flowering shoots. Regular feeding after the first major flush and deep watering during dry periods are particularly useful.

Flower bud:

The bud is very globular, before the petals loosen, the developing flower approaches a rounded or almost spherical shape. As the outer petals separate, the strong pink colouring becomes increasingly visible and the bloom expands rapidly into a deep, substantial cup. The sepals are those of a normal modern shrub hybrid, enclosing a densely packed corolla, while the flower stalks are sufficiently flexible that fully open blooms may nod under their own mass, especially in clusters or after rain. Opening is most satisfactory in dry weather; prolonged moisture can stain the outer petals or cause the densely packed flower to open imperfectly.

Bloom:

The bloom of ‘Immortal Juno’ is very full and strongly old-fashioned in effect. The flowers are medium to large in size, the open flower of this rose typically has a diameter of about 7 - 8 cm (2.8 - 3.1 in), although in warm climates the individual flowers are usually larger and the diameter is highly responsive to plant maturity and growing conditions. The form changes markedly during development. The globe-shaped bud first becomes deep cupped; later the bloom broadens and may become almost flat. The centre remains crowded with numerous irregularly arranged petals, often producing the little button-eye in the centre. The general effect of the flowers is less geometric than that of many modern rosette-form English roses and more closely resembles the exuberant, slightly disorderly fullness of nineteenth-century garden roses.

The colour varies in tonality from deep pink, strong pink, medium pink to warm glowing rose-pink. Generally the colour gives the impression of a saturated, warm rose pink, generally deepest toward the inner petals and somewhat lighter toward the perimeter as the flower matures. Occasionally lilac-rose tones may be more prominent in cooler conditions and in aging flowers.

The first display can be particularly impressive because flowers occur both singly and in clusters, of three to seven flowers per stem. Because individual blooms are full and heavy, stems may incline or arch as several flowers open simultaneously. This creates a softer, old-fashioned flowering effect. For cutting, individual blooms can be impressive, but their relatively soft petals and sensitivity to moisture mean they should be harvested in dry weather and handled gently.

Petals:

The petals of ‘Immortal Juno’ are sufficiently numerous to conceal the reproductive organs through most of the flower's life. The outer petals form the initial rounded shell of the flower, while the inner petals become progressively smaller, more crowded and more irregular. As the bloom expands, central petals may appear waved, crumpled or folded inward, eventually producing the characteristic button-eyed centre. The petal substance appears relatively soft and silky, they are very sensitive to rain and fog. In dry conditions this softness contributes to the romantic, almost translucent quality of the open flower; in wet weather it becomes a horticultural disadvantage.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of ‘Immortal Juno's’ is strong, exceptionally fragrant of an Old rose character, sometimes with a distinct myrrh or anise notes. Fragrance perception is inherently variable, and temperature, humidity and time of day alter what a gardener detects.

Reproductive parts:

The very full flower normally keeps stamens and pistils largely hidden.

PLANT

The variety ‘Immortal Juno’ is a bright modern Shrub rose and it is part of David Austin’s English shrub rose collection. The plants of this rose are mainly upright but not rigid, many vigorous flowering shoots can bend outward under the weight of several mature blooms. The size of the mature and well-established plants vary with climate. Under good care and in moderate climates the mature plants typically reach about 120 - 150 cm (4 - 5 ft) high and around 90 - 120 m (3 - 4 ft) wide, but in warmer climates may grow up to 150 - 180 cm (5 - 6 ft) in height.

It's best to be planted in a mixed or rose border where some neighbouring vegetation can visually support the plant without crowding it. A solitary specimen is possible, especially in dry climates, but a very exposed position is less desirable because wind can combine with heavy flowers to pull the outer stems downward. Larger plans may require providing a support in form of sticks, a low ring support or selective tying of the longest shoots can preserve a natural appearance without making the rose look formally trained.

The soil should be fertile, deep and freely drained but capable of retaining moisture in summer. English shrub roses flower best in good light; David Austin's current guidance recommends at least about four hours of direct sun for most cultivars. Flowers’ particular susceptibility to wet makes a bright position with effective air movement especially valuable. Avoid enclosed spaces, persistently waterlogged ground and overhead watering late in the day.

Annual pruning is best carried out in late winter as the plant approaches renewed growth. An established English shrub rose is normally reduced by approximately one-third to one-half, but ‘Immortal Juno’ should not be cut so severely that all of its mature framework is repeatedly removed. Dead, damaged and weak stems should be eliminated first, older congested wood thinned selectively, and sound young framework retained at varied heights to support flowering from the lower and middle parts of the shrub. In colder climates pruning should be delayed until the worst winter weather has passed and the extent of frost damage can be assessed.

Foliage:

There is a normal quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose. The foliage is comparatively small, smooth and rather pale green. Such lighter foliage contributes to the Old rose appearance of the shrub and provides a relatively quiet background for its saturated pink flowers. The leaves are medium sized and form an adequate leafy framework, but its ornamental importance remains secondary to the flowers.

Leaflets:

Like other roses, ‘Immortal Juno’ bears typical compound pinnate leaves. THe normal leaves in the middle of the flowering stem typically have 5 leaflets, with occasional variation from 3 to 7, including the terminal leaflet. The leaflets are relatively small, elliptic in shape, with acute tip and obtuse base, the edges are serrated and the venation type is reticulate.

Wood:

The plants of rose ‘Immortal Juno’ produce mostly upright canes with lateral branching, eventually forming a substantial medium-sized plant. The upper flowering growth becomes more flexible as clusters develop, and mature stems can incline outward under the mass of the blooms. A good pruning regime should encourage replacement basal shoots while preserving enough older wood to create a balanced framework. Where stems repeatedly flop, simply shortening every cane hard is not always the best solution; thinning weak growth and providing discreet support often retains the cultivar's more graceful character.

Prickles:

Generally rose variety ‘Immortal Juno’ is considered as a prickly rose, they are sufficiently numerous to be noticed in cultivation and to justify gloves when pruning or tying the plant. They occur along the canes in the normal manner of a modern shrub rose and are part of the reason the plant should not be placed immediately beside a narrow path where clothing regularly brushes against the stems.

Disease resistance and stress tolerance:

The disease resistance of the rose ‘Immortal Juno’ is reasonably good as for an older English rose, but should not be confused with the stronger disease resistance expected of the best modern landscape roses. ‘Immortal Juno’ may suffer from powdery mildew, while otherwise regarded as reasonably disease resistant. Black spot and rust susceptibility is not prominent, yet still reasonably good. Its most clearly established environmental weakness is rain damage to the flowers.

Full and soft blooms of this rose can stain, soften or fail to open satisfactorily during prolonged wet weather, the problem being important enough that Austin eventually removed the cultivar from his principal British catalog. Conversely, in warmer and dryer gardens, like in California, the problem is greatly reduced where flowers dry quickly. This preference for dry flowering weather must not be confused with true drought tolerance.

In terms of winter hardiness, this rose is recommended for growing in climates similar to USDA zones 6 - 9, which corresponds approximately to winter minima of −20.6 to −17.8 °C (−5 to 0 °F).

The name ‘Immortal Juno’ almost certainly refers to Juno, the Roman goddess identified with the Greek Hera, queen of the gods and wife of Jupiter. The adjective “immortal” is entirely appropriate to a classical deity and occurs as an epithet for Juno in English literary translations of classical texts. The phrase itself can be found in English versions of Ovid's Metamorphoses, including passages referring to “immortal Juno”.

Up to this date no cultivar-specific award was granted to rose ‘Immortal Juno’.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose ‘Ausjuno’ / 'Immortal Juno' was bred in the UK by David C. H. Austin. The precise seed parent and pollen parent have not been officially published therefore its parentage is unknown.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

‘Ausjuno’ / 'Immortal Juno' illustrates both the achievement and the limitations of the English roses class of that period: its flower possesses extraordinary antique character, yet its performance in the cool, wet climate of Britain proved inconsistent enough for the breeder himself to discontinue it.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

‘Ausjuno’ / 'Immortal Juno' is a distinctive older English shrub rose for gardeners who value flower character and fragrance more highly than uniform modern performance. Its rounded buds, warm luminous pink colouring, densely packed old-rose petals and strong perfume can be extraordinary, particularly in climates where flowers are spared prolonged rainfall. The shrub is medium to tall, upright but sufficiently flexible for heavy clusters to bend the upper growth, and its remontancy is better described as recurring than continuous.This rose variety incorporated the following unique combination of characteristics:

  very globular buds opening into broad, full cupped rosette, rose-pink flowers;

  strong Old rose fragrance, frequently perceived with a distinctive myrrh or anise notes;

  recurrent flowering combined with a pronounced nineteenth-century Old rose floral character;

  medium-to-tall upright shrub growth with heavy blooms that may nod gracefully on the flowering stems;

  particularly fine performance in relatively dry flowering weather, contrasted by sensitivity of the blooms to prolonged rain.

The propagation methods suitable for the rose cultivar ‘Immortal Juno’ include stem cuttings, using softwood or semi-ripe material during active growth or hardwood cuttings during dormancy. Commercial rose production may also use T-budding or related budding techniques onto an appropriate rootstock.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

Precise seed and pollen parent documentation for this cultivar was not confirmed, therefore a formal parent-by-parent comparison cannot be made reliably.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most meaningful historical comparison can be done with the old rose ‘Juno’. The 1847 ‘Juno’ produces large blush-pink, full blooms that begin globular, later flatten and reveal a button eye. Its growth is lax, its fragrance is of Old Rose character, and it flowers only once. ‘Immortal Juno’ repeats several of these visual themes with remarkable fidelity: rounded buds, eventual flatness, a crowded buttoned centre and flexible stems carrying large flowers. It differs principally in its stronger, warmer rose-pink colour and, crucially, in its ability to flower again later in the season.

The older ‘Juno’ reaches roughly 125 by 125 cm (4 by 4 ft) and is distinctly lax. ‘Immortal Juno’ is generally more upright and can become taller, commonly 120 - 150 m and sometimes more in favourable climates. Their superficial resemblance makes the comparison horticulturally valuable, but it should not be used to imply that Austin simply created a recurrent sport or direct seedling of the historic rose. No evidence for either proposition has been confirmed.

USDA 6

USDA Zone 6 - hardiness guide