Rose Phoebe

’Phoebe’ long ago discontinued David Austin’s rose variety from the Wedding and Event Roses collection which has beautiful medium pink flowers with apricot-orange shade on neatly cupped quartered flowers. The flowering stems are long and strong and provide reliable support for its large flowers. The fragrance is strong and fruity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following detailed description of the rose variety ‘Phoebe’ is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Royal Horticultural Society (London) Colour Chart (2001), except where ordinary dictionary significance of color is indicated.

FLOWER

The flowering habit is continuous, as this rose variety is suitable for cut flower production under greenhouse conditions. In greenhouse conditions, it is able to bloom all year round.

Flower bud:

The flower bud has a pointed ovoid shape. The length of the bud is about 3 cm long and 1.6 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. When sepals first divide, the bud color is dark red (Group 47A). When it is half opened, the upper sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group 55A); and the lower sides of the petals are medium blue pink (Group 55B).

The sepals have a subulate shape, their surface texture on the upper surface and on the lower surface is smooth. The length of the sepals is 2.8 cm and the width is about 0.8 cm. The colour of the sepals in the upper surface is medium green (Group 144B) with dark purple red Group 185A at base and on the lower surface is light green (Group 144D) with medium brown green colour (Group 146D) in center at base. There is 1 lightly appendaged sepal and there are 4 unappendaged sepals with canescent and slightly glandular edges. The receptacle is medium sized, about 1.2 cm long and about 1.1 cm wide, has campanulate shape and smooth surface. The colour of the receptacle is light green (Group 144B).

The peduncle is strong, long, averaging to about 7 cm in length. The surface of the peduncle is prickly and has medium green colour (Group 143A).

Bloom:

The flowers of ‘Phoebe’ are large, when fully open the average open flower diameter is about 10.3 cm. The flowers have a cupped shape, which remains the same until the end, only when fully open displays a quartered shaped center. As the flowers age the outer petal edges curl slightly. The flowers are full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 60 on average.

The flowers are borne several together, of 2 to 3 flower buds together in corymb shaped clusters. For cut flower production buds may be nipped out to leave a single bloom. The flowering stems are strong, the average length is about 50 cm with a diameter of 6 mm. Single plant is able to produce about18 flowering stems per season.

The colour of the upper sides of the petals is medium blue pink (Group 55B). The reverse sides of the petals are light blue pink (Group 54D). The bases of the petals are white (Group 155B) with medium yellow (Group 8B) at center. The major color on the upper side is medium blue pink (Group 55B). 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 is medium blue pink (Group 55B). The colour persistence is very good. At the end of the third day there is no change of color observed on the flowers of this variety. Only closer to the end the colour becomes lighter.

Petals:

The surface texture of the petals of ‘Phoebe’ is satiny and thick, the surface is smooth. The average width of the petals is about 4.6 cm and the length is about 4.8 cm. The petals shape is obdeltoid, their margin is entire and heavily undulating. The apex of the petals has an obtuse shape, the base shape is rounded on outer petals, and pointed on inner petals. The general form of the outer petals is flat, and of the inner petals is incurved. The petals have a quartered and irregular arrangement. The number of petaloids per flower is about 2 to 5 and they have red pink colour (Group 51A). The petals have a good self cleaning quality, usually they drop off cleanly before drying. The petals last on the plant for a long period, about 6-8 days on a plant and about the same period of time when used as a cut flower.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of this rose variety is strong, with a Fruity character.

Reproductive parts:
The number of stamens is about 33 per flower with their average length of about 10 mm.

The anthers are medium yellow orange (Group 17B), have a length of about 3 mm, and they are mixed with petaloids.

The filaments have light yellow colour (Group 1D) and are about 7 mm long.

The pollen is medium yellow orange (Group 17B).

The number of pistils is 49 on average and they have a length of about 11 mm.

The styles are light yellow green (Group 1C), their length is about 9 mm on average.

The stigmas are about 2 mm long and have medium yellow clour (Group 9B) with red pink (Group 50B) at the base.

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

PLANT

As all other rose varieties from David Austin’s Wedding and Event Roses collection this rose variety looks more like Hybrid Tea or Florists rose, however they all classified as a Modern Shrub rose, including rose variety ‘Phoebe’. The growth habit is vigorous, upright and bushy. The rose variety is energetic and matures rather quickly, the mature and established plant has a height of about 100 cm and the width of about 50 cm.

The variety is bred for cut flower production in a greenhouse environment therefore in garden conditions is susceptible to common rose diseases.

Foliage:

There is a normal quantity of foliage on the plants of this rose variety. Average number of leaves per flowering stem is 7 on average. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is 5, including the terminal leaflet. The leaves are about 16.3 cm long and are about 13.8 cm wide.

The new foliage on the upper side is medium brown green (Group 146B) with red tint on margin while the lower side have medium brown green colour (Group146C) overlaid with dark brown purple (Group 183C) which becomes stronger toward the margin. The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 139A) and on the lower side is medium brown green (Group 147B).

Leaflets:

The leaflets have a broadly oval shape with rounded base shape and acuminate apex. The surface texture is smooth, leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and medium. The leaflets are large, about 8.1 cm long and 5.5 cm wide.

The colour of the petiole is light green green (Group 144B). The petiole rachis has light green colour (Group 144B) and the underside surface is covered with prickles.

The stipules are about 1.8 cm long and glandular. The auricle if present has a subulate shape.

The veins have medium brown colour (Group 173A), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood has grey brown colour (Group 199A) and smooth bark. The mature wood is medium green (Group 144A) and has smooth bark. The internode dispense on the stems is about 6 cm.

Prickles:

There is an ordinary quantity of prickles on the main canes from the base, about 8 per 5 cm of the stem length. On laterals from main canes there are a few prickles, about 7 per 30 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward, they have a length of 9 mm on average. When young the prickles have dark green brown colour (Group 152B) with gray brown (Group N199D) at a tip. When mature the colour changes to light green (Group 152B) and gray brown (Group N199D) on the tip.

Small prickles:

The small prickles are not observed on the main canes as well as on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety ‘Phoebe’ is disease resistant, particularly to mildew, blackspot and rust in greenhouse conditions, with on average day temperature maintained at 17.5 degrees C. In open air and garden conditions it is susceptible to mildew. The pest resistance has not been tested yet.

The cold hardiness is rather weak, it is not well suited for cold winters, however it is recorded that it can withstand winter in the garden in climates similar to USDA 7 and warmer.

Unfortunately we do not have information about the origin of the name of this rose.

Wedding and Event Roses collection

As of the date no infarmation available on the awards this rose has recieved. It is also possible that this rose has not gained any awards yet.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY
The rose variety named ‘Ausnotice’ / ‘Phoebe’ originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with an unnamed, unpatented seedling.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose breeding was to produce a new florists rose suitable for year round cut flower production under standard greenhouse conditions having medium pink, with a strong fragrance and a long vase life, produced on strong, upright stems.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The objective was substantially achieved, along with other desirable improvements, as this rose has following unique combination of characteristics that are outstanding in this rose variety:

 Cupped quartered blooms of medium-pink color.

 Upright growth.

 Strong fruity fragrance.

 Suitable for cut flower production under greenhouse conditions.

Asexual reproduction of this rose variety by budding, as performed at Albrighton, England, showed that the foregoing and all other characteristics and distinctions came true to form, established and transmitted through the succeeding propagations.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

‘Ausnotice’ / ‘Phoebe’ has medium-pink blooms which differ from the cream colored blooms of both the seed and pollen parents.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

‘Ausmary’ / ‘Mary Rose’ produces deeply cupped blooms with an Old Rose fragrance, whereas the blooms of ‘Ausnotice’ / ‘Phoebe’ have shallower cups and a fruity fragrance.

USDA 7