Rose Molineux

Among all the English Roses, this variety is arguably the best choice for bedding, while also serving well at the front of a border. It stands out for its abundant and continuous blooms, paired with compact, uniform, upright growth and excellent disease resistance. The flowers are a vibrant, pure yellow, forming perfect rosettes with a lovely Tea Rose fragrance with subtle musky notes. While it may not fully embody the classic Old Rose charm typically associated with English Roses, it remains an outstanding and highly reliable rose.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Molineux' 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 'Molineux' rose variety are medium sized, about 2.0-2.5 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid and globular. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is red pink (Group 51A). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are medium yellow (Group 12A) and the lower sides of the petals are medium yellow (Group 12B).

The sepals have a length of about 2.7 cm and a width of 0.8 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is smooth on the upper surface and downy on the lower surface. The colour on the upper and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 144A) with light green (Group 144B). There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with smooth, downy and hairy edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 144A), funnel shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is small-medium, about 6-8 mm cm long and about 9-10 mm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium averaging to about 3.5 - 4.5 cm in length, erect and has a smooth, glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is bronzy when young and matures to medium green.

Bloom:

The flowers are medium to large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 7.0 - 8.0 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped rosette, the flower form persists until the end, flattens slightly when finished blooming, outer petal edges curl slightly. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 110-120. They are born in small clusters, of 3-7 blooms, having irregular shape. The flowering stem has medium to normal strength, long, and is about 60-70 cm long.

The upper sides of the petals at their top is medium yellow (Group 9B) transitioning to the center and to the base to medium yellow (Group 12B). The inner petals of the new bloom are tinged with red blush of orange red (Group 30B). The reverse sides of the petals are and the base of the petals are medium yellow (Group 9C). The base of each petal at its tip is deep yellow. The major color on the upper side is medium yellow (Group 12B). There are slight variegations of colour on the flowers of 'Molineux', the outer edges of the middle petals often have a medium yellow colouring (Group 2B).

The general tonality at the end of the first day is medium yellow (Group 9B) but paler, the red blush disappears by the end of the first day. At the end of the third day the colour fades to medium yellow (Group 8B) at base of petal fading to light yellow (Group 8D) at the outer edge.

Petals:

The texture of the petals is silky, thick and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is slightly notched, deltoid, the petals are nearly entire with tips slightly recurved. The arrangement of the petals is informal, with no 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 3-4 days, as a cut flower they last for about 4 days.

Fragrance:

The aroma of 'Molineux' is light, with a delightful Tea Rose fragrance with subtle musky undertones, adding to its charm.

Reproductive parts:

There is a normal quantity of stamens, they are tucked in calyx or partly so.

The anthers have yellow colour.

The colour of the filaments is yellow.

The pollen is gold yellow.

The colour of the styles greenish-white.

Stigmas are yellow.

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed.

PLANT

The rose variety 'Molineux' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is vigorous.

According to David Austin himself, this rose variety is an unusual member of the English Musk Roses, leaning more toward the characteristics of old Tea Roses in its breeding. For anyone seeking an excellent English Rose for a formal rose bed, this variety is among the very best. Its growth habit is compact and uniform, resembling that of a Hybrid Tea or Floribunda, rather than the typical shrubby form of English Roses. One of its standout qualities is its exceptional ability to repeat-flower consistently throughout the season. If 'Molineux' has a limitation, it would be its relative lack of the Old Rose character typically associated with English Roses.

Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 90 - 120 cm and the width of about 60 - 90 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 is 5. The foliage is large, about 17-19 cm long and about 13 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage is dark brown green (Group 146A) marked with reddish blush on margins and veins. The mature foliage on is dark brown green (Group 147A).

Leaflets:

The leaflets are large, the shape of the leaflets is broadly oval to pointed oval, and the surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is double and large.

The petiole has green colour and has prickles, about 2 to 5 per internode. The petiole rachis is green. The stipules are medium sized, about 2.5 cm long, serrated, the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has reddish colour and smooth bark. The mature wood is green, the bark remains smooth.

Prickles:

There are few to ordinary prickles present on the main canes from base, and on the laterals from main canes there are few prickles. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward, the length is about medium, they are evenly distributed around the stem, more on lower internodes. The colour of the young prickles is red and the mature prickles have a reddish brown colour.

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 'Molineux' has very 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.

Additionally, it is less hardy compared to other varieties. In particularly harsh and frosty winters may damage it quite significantly. Therefore, I would not recommend this rose for gardens in very cold climates.

Named for Sir Jack Hayward, former Chairman of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, ‘Molineux’ being the name of their stadium. Indeed, it must be the only rose named after a football ground.

English Shrub Roses

PIT President's International Trophy (Great Britain), Royal National Rose Society (RNRS) Show or Trials, 1996;

Durbanville - Gold Medal, Durbanville Rose Trials, 1997;

Australia - Bronze Medal, Australian National Rose Trials, 1999;

Glasgow Gold Medal, Glasgow Rose Trials, 1999;

Award of Garden Merit (RHS/RNRS), Royal Horticultural Society Show, 2001;

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausmol’ / 'Molineux' originated by David Austin by crossing the variety ‘Ausmas’ / ‘Graham Thomas’ with an unnamed, unpatented seedling.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety with repeat-flowering rose with yellow old-fashioned-shaped flowers.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 Rich yellow flowers;

 Old-fashioned shape of flower;

 Good repeat flowering.

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 ‘Ausmol’ / ‘Molineux’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 The seed parent ‘Ausmas’ / ‘Graham Thomas’ has much larger plant bears deep cupped rich pure yellow flowers while ‘Ausmol’ / ‘Molineux’ variety has much fuller, rosette shaped flowers with some reddish tones and forms smaller plants.

The characteristics of the pollen parent have not been disclosed.

USDA 6