Rose Perdita

‘Perdita’ is known for its delicate apricot-blush rosette flowers with a spicy myrrh and Tea Rose fragrance. It flowers repeatedly through the season, beginning as Hybrid Tea-like buds that open into richly textured quartered blooms. With a neat, bushy habit, dark green foliage, and excellent fragrance (winner of the Henry Edland Medal), ‘Perdita’ is ideal for borders and small gardens.

FLOWERING

‘Perdita’ is a consistently free-flowering rose, offering charming rosette-shaped blooms from early summer until frost. The flowers appear in flushes, often in clusters, with an ever-changing character as they unfold one of this rose's most remarkable traits. They are medium sized, the average diameter of the open flower is 8 cm (3.1 in) on average.

Initially emerging as elegant, pointed Hybrid Tea-style buds of creamy buff or soft peach, the blooms slowly open to reveal very full, shallowly cupped flowers with a neat quartered centre. The outer guard petals are often milky white, while the centers radiate warm blush-apricot tones with salmon-pink or even orange-apricot overtones in warmer weather. As the flowers mature, their colors soften and fade gracefully, enhancing the plant’s nostalgic charm.

Awarded the prestigious Henry Edland Medal for fragrance by the Royal National Rose Society in 1984, ‘Perdita’ has a strong and spicy perfume. The scent is often described as a blend of myrrh and Tea Rose, offering a rich and distinctive aromatic experience, especially potent in warmer climates or still summer evenings.

PLANT

‘Perdita’ is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. This compact shrub typically reaches 100 cm (3.3 ft) in height and about 75 cm (2.5 ft) in spread, though in warmer climates or with minimal pruning, it may grow as tall as 150 - 200 cm (5 - 7 ft). It exhibits a slightly arching, bushy growth character with a tendency to shoot consistently from the base, ensuring a full, lush appearance. Early in its development, it may appear sparse or open at the center, but the plant matures into a balanced and elegant form within a few seasons.

‘Perdita’ bears abundant, dark green foliage with a matte to semi-glossy appearance. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves varies from 5 and occasionally to 7, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized. New leaves emerge in spring green colours, while the stems display an attractive bronze to reddish hue, often lined with fine, reddish prickles. The overall appearance is neat and modern, with some tendencies borrowed from Hybrid Teas. While generally healthy, it may occasionally be susceptible to rust or black spots, especially in humid or poorly ventilated growing conditions.

This rose is ideal for borders, smaller gardens, containers, and cutting gardens, and thrives in both full sun and partial shade. Its compact form and continual bloom make it a versatile option for those seeking an elegant, fragrant rose without aggressive size. Gardeners may train it loosely as a short pillar or enjoy it as a standalone specimen.

The rose variety ‘Perdita’ is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 6 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

The rose is named for Perdita, the lost and rediscovered daughter of King Leontes of Sicilia in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, a literary reference that befits this rose’s elusive and transforming beauty.

English Shrub Roses

Henry Edland Medal for Fragrance, RNRS, 1984.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausperd’ / 'Perdita' originated by David Austin by crossing female parent (seed parent) - English shrub rose ‘The Friar’ with the male parent (pollen parent) - an unnamed and unpatented rose seedling which was a result of cross pollination of the unnamed rose seedling with Floribunda rose ‘Schneewittchen’ (‘Iceberg’).

Therefore the origin of the rose variety ‘Ausperd’ / 'Perdita' can be expressed with the following formula:

‘The Friar’ x [unnamed rose seedling x ‘Schneewittchen’ (‘Iceberg’)]

USDA 6