Rose James L. Austin

This very healthy rose boasts luxurious, deep pink cerise rosettes, each perfectly formed with a button eye in the centre. The blooms are large, neatly filled, and exude a buoyant personality. Their rich cerise-pink color is further accentuated by maroon buds, dark green foliage, and subtle hints of red and purple on the stems, creating a magnificent visual display.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'James L. Austin' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society (2001), 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 a recurrent 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 'James L. Austin' rose variety are medium sized, about 2 cm long and 1.8 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is dark purple red (Group 60A). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group 61C) and the lower sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group 61C).

Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back, the length is about 6.5 cm and the diameter is 6.5 cm.

The sepals have a length of about 2.5 cm and a width of 0.6 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is downy on the upper surface and smooth on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is medium brown green (Group 138B) and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 144A). There are no appendaged sepals and there are 5 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges and with medium extensions.

The receptacle is light green (Group N144A), apple shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium and broad, about 1.1 cm long and about 1.2 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium averaging to about 7 cm in length, of a strong strength and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is light green (Group N144A).

Bloom:

The flowers are medium to large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 9 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped. When the flowers fully open the shape becomes flat, rosette shaped, the outer petals curl back. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 90. They are born in small clusters, of 1 to 4 blooms, having rounded shape. The flowering stem is strong, short, and has an average length of about 7 cm.

The upper sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group N66B) and the reverse sides of the petals are dark blue pink (Group 67C); the base of the petals has medium yellow colour (Group 5C). Under normal growing conditions there is no variegation observed on the flowers of rose variety 'James L. Austin'.

The general tonality of the flowers at the end of the first day is medium purple red (Group N66B), at the end of the third day the general tonality does not change, remaining medium purple red (Group N66B).

Petals:

The texture of the petals and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is obovate, the margins are entire. The apex is rounded and the base of the petals is acute, the tips slightly recurved and many petals folded vertically. Average length of the petals is about 4 cm and the width is about 2 - 4 cm. The petals are regularly arranged.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 8 - 20 on average, oftenly forming so called button-eye. Petaloids have medium purple red colour (Group N66B), they are about 0.8 - 2 cm long and 0.4 -1 cm wide. Petaloids have various shapes of deformed petals with irregular margins.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, they normally drop off cleanly before drying. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly short, on the plant they last for about 3 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is not tested.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'James L. Austin' is light to moderate, Fruity.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 4 - 8 on average per flower, the length is about 5 mm, they are mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have a length of about 1.5 mm and medium yellow colour (Group 5A).

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow (Group 5A), their length is 4 mm on average.

The pollen is dark yellow (Group 14A) and scarce.

The number of pistils is 10 on average, they are about 6 mm long.

The colour of the styles is medium yellow green (Group 151D) and has a length of about 5.2 mm.

Stigmas are about 0.4 mm long and have medium yellow green colour (Group 151C).

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'James L. Austin' is classified as a Shrub rose of the market class ‘English Rose’. The growth character is vigorous, energetic and upright The plants are compact, slightly rounded and bushy. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 125 cm and the width of about 60 - 110 cm.

Its vibrant rosettes and well-proportioned growth makes 'James L. Austin' an ideal rose for various planting purposes, from pots to mixed borders. It is perfect for statement pots, adding a touch of elegance and color to compact spaces. Its bushy form and vibrant blooms stand out beautifully among other plants, particularly when combined with jewel-toned flowers.

Foliage:

The foliage of this rose variety is abundant. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves varies from 5 on some to 7 on some leaves, including the terminal leaflet. The average flowering stem has about 10 leaves. The foliage is medium sized, about 15 cm long and about 12 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 146A) tinged with dark brown purple (Group 184A) while the lower side is dark brown purple (Group 184A). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 147A) and on the lower side is medium brown green (Group 147B).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is large, they are about 7 cm long and about 4.8 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is pointed oval, the shape of the leaflet tip is acuminate and the base shape is cordate. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is double and medium.

The petiole has dark brown green colour (Group 146A), is about 5 cm long and 2 mm in diameter, has a slightly glandular surface with an occasional very small prickles.

The petiole rachis is dark brown green (Group 146A) and has a glandular surface with occasional very small prickles on the underside.

The auricle is lanceolate, has a length of about 0.8 cm and is about 1.5 mm wide.

The colour of the auricle is dark brown green (Group 146A).

The stipules are 2.8 cm long, have a glandular surface and dark brown green colour (Group 146A).

The veins have dark brown green (Group 147A) with medium brown green (Group 147B), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has medium green colour (Group 144A), the bark is smooth. The mature wood is medium green (Group 144A), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The number of lateral branches is 6 on average, they have a length of about 50 cm and the diameter is 6 mm on average. The mature stem has an average length of about 50 cm and the diameter of 6 mm, the internode distance is 7 cm. The stem pubescence is not observed on the stems of this rose variety. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season.

Prickles:

There are ordinary prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes, about 10 per 10 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is deep concave, the length is about 6 - 7 mm. The colour of the young prickles is medium brown purple (Group 184B); the mature prickles have medium brown purple colour (Group 184D).

Small prickles:

There are many small prickles on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety, about 20 per 10 cm of the stem length. When they are young the colour is medium brown purple (Group 184B) and the colour of the mature small prickles medium brown purple (Group 184D).

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'James L. Austin' has good resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to powdery mildew (Podosphaera pannosa), downy mildew (Peronospora species), blackspot (Diplocarpon rosae) and rust (Phragmidium tuberculatum) under normal growing conditions. The pest resistance has not been tested yet.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 5 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named for the son of David Austin Senior and brother of David Austin Junior.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Auspike’ / 'James L. Austin' originated by David Austin from the cross-pollination of the two ‘unnamed’ and unpatented seedlings of Rosa hybrida.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety with blooms of the deepest cerise pink, with numerous petals forming perfect large rosettes, each with a central button eye and a medium strength, fruity fragrance, and that flowers prolifically over a long season with blooms that are not affected by bad weather.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 large, robust blooms with button eyes and many petals;

 exceptionally healthy;

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 ‘Auspike’ / ‘James L. Austin’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 the maternal parent is a lighter pink with smaller, deeply-cupped blooms compared to deepest cerise pink larger blooms of ‘Auspike’ / ‘James L. Austin’.

The ‘Auspike’ / ‘James L. Austin’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent has semi-double flowers, while ‘Auspike’ / ‘James L. Austin’ has very full flowers.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivars to the ‘Auspike’ / ‘James L. Austin’ are the rose variety ‘Auskitchen’ / ‘Princess Anne’ and rose ‘Ausvibrant’ / ‘Young Lycidas’. They may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 ‘Auskitchen’ / ‘Princess Anne’ has pyramidal clusters of 4 to 14 blooms, whereas ‘Auspike’ / ‘James L. Austin’ has blooms held either singly or in a small cluster of 2 to 4 blooms;

 Moreover, neither ‘Auskitchen’ / ‘Princess Anne’ nor ‘Ausvibrant’ / ‘Young Lycidas’ has a button eye;

 In addition, ‘Ausvibrant’ / ‘Young Lycidas’ has blooms that are larger and deeper than ‘Auspike’ / ‘James L. Austin’ and has fewer prickles.

USDA zone 5 and warmer