Rose Munstead Wood

”Bears very deep, velvety crimson blooms, with lighter coloured outer petals. The flowers of this variety are in fact light crimson in the bud but, as the centre gradually reveals itself, it becomes a very deep velvety crimson while the outer petals remain rather lighter in colour. As the flower ages we get glimpses of the stigma and stamens amongst the petals. They are large cups at first, becoming shallowly cupped with time. There is a strong Old Rose fragrance with fruity notes of blackberry, blueberry and damson notes. The growth is quite bushy, forming a broad shrub with good disease-resistance. The leaves are mid-green; the younger leaves being red-bronze to form a nice contrast.” - David Austin.

CLASSIFICATION
The present invention relates to a new Rosa hybrida shrub.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATION
Throughout this specification, color references and/or values are based upon the Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society (2015) except where common terms of color definition are employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY
The following description is of 2 year-old rose plants of the new variety grown outdoors in Albrighton, Britain in the month of August. Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climatic conditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWER CHARACTERISTICS
‘Munstead Wood’ has recurrent blooming habit. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count.

Flower bud:
Has the size of about 3 cm long and 3 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is globular (with pointed top).

When sepals first divide, the bud color is dark purple red (Group 60B) with irregular patches of light green (Group N144D). When half blown, the upper sides of the petals are dark purple red (Group 59A), and the lower sides of the petals are dark purple (Group 59C).

Calyx shape from the above is irregularly rounded, has length about 3 cm and diameter of about 4.5 cm.

Sepals arranged in regular manner. The colour on the upper surface is medium brown green (Group 194B) and on the lower surface is light green (Group 144A). Their length is about 2.5 cm and the width is about 0.9 cm, the shape is subulate. Margins glandular surface texture on the upper surface is slightly pubescent, on the lower surface is smooth, glossy. There are three normally appendaged sepals. There are 2 unappendaged sepals. Apex is typical and observed sepal apex has medium extensions. The typical and observed unappendaged sepals have glandular edges.

Receptacles has light green (Group 144A) colour, it is funnel shaped, the size is small, about 0.7 cm long and 0.7 cm wide with smooth surface.

Peduncle’s length is medium, averaging about 7.5 cm, with average diameter about 3 mm and prickly surface. The colour is light green (Group 144C) overlaid with greyed-red (Group 181B), has normal strength.

Blooms:
Flowers when open are large, average open diameter is about 9.5 cm, the average bloom depth is about 4 cm. They borne in small clusters of 5-7 blooms having corymb shaped inflorescence.

Stems has normal strength, the average length is about 35 cm and diameter of about 4 mm.

When first open, flower has cupped form, and later the flower flattens as the flower develops. Number of petals under normal conditions is about 70-75.

The upper sides of the petals are dark purple (Group 59A). The reverse sides of the petals are dark purple (Group 64A). The base of the petals is dark purple (Group 59A).

Flowers have wonderful, strong fragrance. The character of fragrance is primary Old Rose with fruity notes of blackberry, blueberry and damson notes.

Petals:
Petals have smooth and velvety texture. They have width of about 3.3 cm and length of about 4.2 cm. Their surface is smooth. The shape of the outer petals is round and of the inner petals is obovate.

Margins of the most petals are entire, though towards center some are notched. The apex shape is rounded, and the base shape is obtuse; they are incurved and the tips slightly recurved.

Petals arrangement is slightly quartered and regularly arranged without being imbricated.

Petaloids number is about 6 under normal growing conditions; the colour of the petal is dark purple (Group 64A) and the anther is dark yellow (Group 15A).

Filament is dark yellow (Group 15A), has length of the petal about 15 mm and the width of only 10 mm; the anther’s length is about 3 mm and the filament is 8 mm long; their shape is irregular with irregular margins.

Petals drop off cleanly before drying.

On the plant flowers have fairly long life, about 4-5 days. As a cut flower about 3-4 days.

Reproductive parts:
The number of stamens is about 50, their length is about 9 mm.

Anthers’ length is about 2 mm, they are dark yellow (Group 15A), arrangement is regular around styles mixed with petaloids.

Filaments have dark yellow colour (Group 15A) and length 7 mm in average.

Pollen is dark yellow (Group 15A).

Pistils The number of pistils on the flower is about 70, length is about 8-9 mm.

Styles are light yellow green (Group 1C) with average length of 7 mm.

Stigmas are dark yellow (Group 14B) and light blue pink (Group 69A) with length of about 1-2 mm.

Hips – not observed.

PLANT CHARACTERISTICS
‘Munstead Wood’ / ‘Ausbernard’ is classified as a Shrub rose.

The plant growth habit is vigorous and bushy.

Mature plant height is about 90 – 110 cm and the width is about 75 – 110 cm.

Foliage:
The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is 5 (including terminal leaflet). They are medium sized, about 13.5 cm long and 9.6 cm wide. The quantity of leaved on the plant is normal, the number of leaves per flowering stem is about 8-10.

New foliage on the upper side has light green colour (Group N144A), overlaid with dark purple red (Group 60A); on the lower side the colour is light green (Group N144A) overlaid with dark purple red (Group 60A). Old foliage on the upper side has dark green (Group 137A) colour; and the colour on the lower side is medium brown green (Group 138B).

Leaflets:
The leaflets have size of about 5.3 cm long and 3.4 cm wide under normal growing conditions in garden. The have broadly oval shape; the base shape is rounded, apex shape is acuminate, and the texture is leathery. The edges of the leaflets are serrated, the serration is single.

Petiole are medium green (Group 144A). their length is about 5 cm and the width is about 1.5 mm; the surface texture is glandular with some small prickles. Petiole rachis is medium green (Group 144A) with smooth underside.

Stipules have length of 2.8 cm in average, they are smooth and have light green colour (Group 144B).

Auricle has falcate shape, the average length is 7 mm and width is 2 mm at base tapering to point; the colour is light green (Group 144B).

Vein color is light green (Group 144D), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:
New wood has dark purple red colour (Group 60A); the bark is rough and prickly. The old wood is medium brown green (Group 138A), and the bark is rough and prickly.

Branching habit:
The number of branches in average is 4 per main stem. Lateral branches have length of about 35 cm and diameter of 4 mm.

Mature stems have length of 60 cm in average and diameter of 4 mm. Internode distance is 4.5 cm in average. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season. Pubescence presence is not observed. The colour of the stems is medium brown green (Group 138A).

Prickles:
On main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes there are many prickles – their number per stem length is about 40 per 10 cm. The prickles have linear form, their length is 7 mm in average. The colour of the young prickles is dark brown purple (Group 178A); the colour of the mature prickles is medium brown (Group 176C).

Small prickles:
The quantity of small prickles on the main stalks and on the laterals – many, the number per stem length is about 150 per 20 cm. When young they have dark brown purple colour (Group 178A), and when mature they are medium brown (Group 176C).

Disease resistance:
Under normal growing conditions ‘Munstead Wood’ / ‘Ausbernard’ showed good resistance to powdery mildew and downy Mildew, as well as it is resistant to blackspot and rust.

Pest resistance and winter hardiness not tested.

Growing conditions – suitable to grow as a garden rose, namely, outdoors in soil.

Munstead Wood was the name of the horticulturalist and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll’s home in Surrey, England. It was designed by the architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens, whose professional partnership with Jekyll was one of the most influential of the Arts and Crafts movement. Gertrude Jekyll wrote her many gardening books at Munstead Wood and it was her home for most of her life.

English Shrub Rose

Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society, 2012.

ORIGIN OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of shrub rose plant named ‘Munstead Wood’ / ‘AUSbernard’, which originated from crossing of two unnamed, unpatented varieties of Rosa hybrida.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of this breeding was to produce a very healthy repeat flowering variety having deep crimson blooms with a strong fragrance and broad bushy growth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Among the features which distinguish the new variety from other presently available and commercial rose cultivars known to the inventor was the following combination of characteristics: - deep crimson blooms with a strong old rose fragrance and broad bushy growth.

Asexual reproduction of the new variety by budding as performed in greenhouses at Bowling Green Lane in Albrighton, Britain shows that the foregoing and other distinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. ‘Munstead Wood’ / ‘AUSbernard’ may be asexually propagated by budding and grafting. The budding and grafting successfully occurred on the plant/rootstock Rosa cv. ‘Dr. Huey’ in the United States and on the plant/rootstock Rosa dumetorum cv. ‘Laxa’ in the United Kingdom.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS
The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics: whereas the parent has smaller blooms with fewer petals, ‘Munstead Wood’ / ‘AUSbernard’ produces a much larger plant. The new variety is classified as a hybrida rose with a broad growing habit.

The new variety may be distinguished from its pollen parent, by the following combination of characteristics: whereas the pollen parent bears smaller pink blooms, ‘Munstead Wood’ / ‘AUSbernard’ bears large size flowers of deep crimson.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR
The closest commercially available cultivar to the new variety was the ‘William Shakespeare 2000’ / ‘AUSromeo’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,993). The new rose may be distinguished from the ‘William Shakespeare 2000’ / ‘AUSromeo’ variety by the following combination of characteristics: the ‘William Shakespeare 2000’ / ‘AUSromeo’ has more petals and larger blooms compared to ‘Munstead Wood’ / ‘AUSbernard’, which also has smaller leaves and more prickles.

USDA zone 5 and warmer