Rose Lady Emma Hamilton

Dark red buds with dashes of orange, open to chalice-shaped blooms of rich tangerine orange, with yellow-orange on the outside of the petals. The shades and tones balance changing as more of the inner petals become exposed and colour is varying a little according to the season. Set against dark bronze-tinted foliage that deepens to green with age, the blooms create a vivid contrast that brings a touch of drama to any garden border. The flowers have a strong, delicious, fruity fragrance with hints of pear, grape and citrus fruits. Upright and bushy in habit, it flowers freely and remains exceptionally healthy.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Lady Emma Hamilton' 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 'Lady Emma Hamilton' rose variety are medium sized, about 2.6 cm long and 2 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 red (Group 45B). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are dark orange (Group 28A) and the lower sides of the petals are medium yellow orange (Group 22B) on the base and margin with light orange (Group 24C) in the central area.

The sepals have a length of about 2.4 cm and a width of 1.2 cm. The shape of the sepals is subulate, the surface texture is glandular on the upper surface and pubescent on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is dark brown purple (Group 183C) at base and margin with brown red (Group 181B) in the central area; on the lower surface the colour of the sepals is medium brown green (Group 148C) with some light green (Group 144C) at base. There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with canescent edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 144A) with irregular patches dark brown purple (Group 183B), campanulate shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 0.7 cm long and about 1 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 6 cm in length, strong and has prickly surface. The colour of the peduncle is red pink (Group N34C).

Bloom:

The flowers are large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 8 - 9 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped, the flower form persists until the end. Flowers are full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 46. They are born in small clusters of 4 - 7 blooms, having a rounded shape.

The colour of the flowers is complex. The colour of the upper sides of the petals on the margin and on the upper zone is light orange (Group 26C) and in the middle zone to base is medium yellow orange (Group 20B). The reverse sides of the petals on the margin and in the upper zone is medium yellow orange (Group 20B) and light yellow orange (Group 20C) from the middle zone to the base. The base of each petal is medium yellow (Group 7D). The undersides of some of the very outer petals have markings of dark red (Group 47A) and red pink (Group 51A). Under normal growing conditions the variegation is not observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

The general tonality at the end of the first day varies between medium yellow orange (Group 22C) and light orange (Group 24D). At the end of the third day the general tonality becomes lighter, and varies between light yellow orange (Group 23D) and medium yellow (Group 9C).

Petals:

The texture of the petals and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is obcordate, the margins are flat, slightly reflexing, mainly on outer petals. The apex is obcordate and the base of the petals is cuneate with outer petals blunt tipped, and the petals form is incurved with tips slightly recurved on some petals. Average length of the petals is about 4.6 cm and the width is about 3.5 cm. The arrangement of the petals is imbricated, regularly arranged, shingle-like.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 6 on average. Petaloids on the upper surface have medium orange colour (Group 29A) with medium yellow (Group 7B) towards base and margin bearing the anther, and on the reverse side they are light orange colour (Group 29B) with medium yellow (Group 7B) towards base and margin bearing the anther. The attached anthers have light orange colour (Group 28C) and filaments are medium yellow (Group 9B).

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 4 days, as a cut flower they last for about 5 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Lady Emma Hamilton' is strong, fruity, with hints of pear, grape and citrus fruits.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 137 on average per flower, the length is about 7 mm, they are regularly arranged around styles, mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have a length of about 2 mm and medium yellow colour (Group 9A).

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow orange (Group 16A), their length is 5 mm on average.

The pollen is medium yellow (Group 9A).

The number of pistils is 96 on average, they are about 8 mm long.

The colour of the styles is light yellow (Group 1D) and they are about 7 mm long.

Stigma are about 1 mm long and have light yellow orange colour (Group 22D) with pink edge not concentrated enough to determine RHS color code.

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Lady Emma Hamilton' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is moderately vigorous, broad, bushy and upright. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 125 cm and the width of about 90 - 125 cm.

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 varies from 5 to 7, including the terminal leaflet. The average flowering stem has about 10 leaves. The foliage is medium sized, about 17.6 cm long and about 11.9 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 146B) with dark brown purple (Group 183A) concentrated around the margin while the lower side is medium brown purple (Group 184B). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 147A) and some are dark green (Group 137A) while the lower side is medium brown green (Group 147B).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium, they are about 6.9 cm long and are about 4.5 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is oval, the shape of the leaflet tip is acuminate and the base shape is rounded. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single or double on some and large.

The petiole has light green colour (Group 144D) overlaid with brown and red tint on the upper side, not concentrated enough to determine RHS color code. The surface texture of petiole is smooth, the length is approximately 3.5 cm and the width is approximately 1 - 2 mm, depending upon leaf maturity.

The petiole rachis is light green (Group 142D) and has a smooth surface.

The auricle has subulate shape, length of about 0.5 - 0.8 cm and about 1 mm in diameter at the base, tapering to a fine point.

The stipules are light green (Group 144D) on mature leaves, while new leaves have stipules of dark brown green (Group 146B) overlaid with dark brown purple (Group 183A). They are about 3.5 cm long and highly serrated.

The veins have light green (Group 142D) colour, the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has dark purple red colour (Group 53A) and grey brown (Group 199B), the bark is smooth and with prickles. The mature wood is medium green (Group 144A), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 43 cm and the diameter of 8 mm, the internode distance is 4.5 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 number of prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes, about 7 per 5 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is deep concave, the length is about 9 mm. The colour of the young prickles is dark purple red (Group 185A) and mature prickles have light green colour (Group N144A).

Small prickles:

There are many small prickles on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety, about 30 per 5 cm of the stem length. When they are young the colour is dark purple red (Group 185A) and the colour of the mature small prickles is light green (Group N144A).

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Lady Emma Hamilton' has good resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to powdery mildew (podosphaera pannosa), downey 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 6 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named after the beautiful mistress of Lord Nelson to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausbrother’ / 'Lady Emma Hamilton' originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with an unnamed, unpatented seedling of class Rosa hybrida.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety having very free-flowering and healthy, tangerine-orange blooms with a yellow-orange reverse and a strong fragrance.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 deeply cupped blooms, tangerine-orange on inner side and yellow-orange on the reverse;

 very strong and complex fruity fragrance;

 bronzy-green foliage becoming dark green on upright, bushy growth.

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 ‘Ausbrother’ / ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 The seed parent has apricot, rosette-shaped blooms compared to the bright yellow-orange, cupped blooms of ‘Ausbrother’ / ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’, and the foliage of the seed parent is less bronzy than that of ‘Ausbrother’ / ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’. ‘Ausbrother’ / ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’.

The ‘Ausbrother’ / ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ may be distinguished from its pollen parent by the following combination of characteristics:

 The pollen parent has less petalage than ‘Ausbrother’ / ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ and the blooms are paler orange in color.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivar to the ‘Ausbrother’ / ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ is the famous Shrub rose ‘Ausmum’ / ‘Pat Austin’ and they may be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:

 ‘Ausmum’ / ‘Pat Austin’ has larger, brighter orange blooms than ‘Ausbrother’ / ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ and fewer small prickles.

 ‘Ausbrother’ / ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ has a more upright growth and a stronger fragrance than ‘Ausmum’ / ‘Pat Austin’.

USDA zone 5 and warmer