Rose Jude the Obscure

Magnificent rose renowned for its large, deeply cupped, chalice-shaped blooms. The petals exhibit a soft gradient of color — rich medium yellow on the inside, fading to a paler, creamy yellow on the outside — giving the flower a luminous, sculptural quality. Its fragrance is truly exceptional: intensely strong and complex, with notes of guava and sweet white wine, making it one of the most memorable scents among English roses.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Jude the Obscure' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, 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 'Jude the Obscure' rose variety are medium sized, about 5 cm (2 inches) long when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is short, fairly pointed ovoid, broad. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is medium yellow orange (Group 20A). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are dark yellow (Group 14B) at their base fading to light yellow (Group 13D) and the lower sides of the petals are medium yellow orange (Group 15C/D) at their base fading to light yellow orange at their outer edges (Group 18C/D).

The sepals have a length of about 5 cm (2 inches) and a width of about 1 cm (½ inches). The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is smooth on the upper surface and leathery on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is medium green (Group 144A) with medium brown purple in the midline and base (Group 181A) and on the lower surface is light green (Group 144B) with some medium brown purple (Group 181A). There are 3 normally appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with smooth edges and a few glandular hairs at base edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 144A) with medium brown purple blush (Group 182A), goblet shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium; slender, about 1 cm (0.4 inch) long and about 1 cm (0.4 inch) in diameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 5 cm (2 inches) in length, stiff, erect and has a slightly glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is medium brown green (Group 146C) and dark brown purple (Group 183B).

Bloom:

The flowers are medium to large sized, the average diameter of the open flower is about 8 - 9 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped and slightly globular. As the flower edges it flattens slightly, a few outer petals curl back and the outer petal edges curl slightly. Flowers are full, the number of petals under normal conditions varies from 55 to 70. They are born in singly or several clusters having flattish shape, of 1 - 5 blooms together. The flowering stem has normal strength, medium sized, and has an average length of about 61 cm (24 inches).

When flowers first open, the colour of the upper surface of the outer petals is medium yellow (Group 12A) at their base, shading gradually to medium yellow (Group 12B), thence to medium yellow orange (Group 13C) in the center and to light yellow (Group 16D) at their outer edges. The inner petals are considerably deeper in color. The reverse sides of the petals are medium yellow (Group 12A) at their base, fading to medium yellow orange (Group 13C) in the center and to light yellow orange (Group 20C) toward the edges. The major colour on the upper sides is medium yellow orange (Group 13C). Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is paler, less orange, than light yellow (Group 10D). At the end of the third day the general tonality becomes lighter - light yellow (Group 8D).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is thick and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is notched at apex, deltoid, heart shaped, the petals form is cupped. The arrangement of the petals is informal, slightly quartered, with few large petaloids in the center. Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers.

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 long, on the plant they last for about 5 days, and they last in vase also for about 5 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Jude the Obscure' is strong, with a fruity character, reminiscent of guava and sweet white wine, sometimes with strong citrus notes.

Reproductive parts:

There are many stamens in the flowers of this rose variety, they are medium long, tucked in calyx or partly so, mixed with petaloids.

The anthers are medium sized, and have dark yellow colour (Group 15A).

The colour of the filaments is yellow, reddish at base.

The pollen is gold yellow.

The colour of the styles is greenish white at base, pinkish red at top.

Stigmas are yellow.

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Jude the Obscure' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is vigorous, upright and branching. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 150 to 200 cm (5 to 6+1⁄2 ft) and the width of about 110 - 125 cm (3 ft to 4 ft 1 in). Brings both old-world charm and distinctive color to the garden, filling a unique niche among English Old Rose hybrids.

Foliage:

There is a normal quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose variety. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is typically 5, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized, about 15.2 - 17.8 cm (6 - 7 inches) long and about 12.7 cm (5 inches) wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is medium brown green (Group 147B) with dark brown purple margins (Group 183B) while the lower side is medium brown green (Group 147C). 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 medium, they have a pointed oval, elliptic shape. The surface texture of the leaflets is slightly leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and large.

The petiole has green colour, and has a smooth surface with prickles, 1 to 2 per internode.

The petiole rachis is green. The stipules are 2.5 cm long, serrated and have a smooth surface, the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has medium brown green colour (Group 146C) with dark brown purple (Group 183B), the bark is smooth. The mature wood is dark brown green (Group 146B), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 60 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 is an ordinary quantity of prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes. The shape of the prickles is slightly hooked downward, the length is medium. The colour of the young prickles is dark brown purple (Group 183A)

Small prickles:

There are no small prickles on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Jude the Obscure' has good resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to mildew, blackspot and rust under normal growing conditions. The pest resistance has not been tested yet.

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

Namedafter the character in Thomas Hardy’s novel of the same name.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausjo’ / 'Jude the Obscure' originated by David Austin by crossing English rose variety ‘Auscot’ / ‘Abraham Darby’ with the English rose variety ‘Ausrush’ / ‘Windrush’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety having greater repeat flowering and shrubby nature and being very resistant to disease.

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 cupped flowers varying from deep yellow in their middles to pale yellow on their outer sides;

 Very strong fragrance;

 Repeat flowers well.

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 ‘Ausjo’ / ‘Jude the Obscure’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 ‘Auscot’ / ‘Abraham Darby’ has apricot pink flowers comparing to soft yellow flowers of ‘Ausjo’ / ‘Jude the Obscure’.

The ‘Ausjo’ / ‘Jude the Obscure’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent ‘Ausrush’ / ‘Windrush’ has white flowers and fewer petals compared to chalice-shaped full soft yellow flowers of ‘Ausjo’ / ‘Jude the Obscure’.

USDA zone 5 and warmer