Rose Queen of Sweden

The exquisitely soft apricot-pink buds gracefully open into half-enclosed shallow cups of neat, regular petals arranged in concentric circles. As the flowers fully open they demonstrate beautiful shallow cups of pure soft pink colour just slightly touched with apricot, Forms very compact, upright plant which always looks neat and eye-catching.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The detailed description of the rose variety ‘Queen of Sweden’ 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 is very profuse, the variety has very good repeat flowering. Blooms in flushes, with very short breaks, for about a 5 month period. 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 ‘Queen of Sweden’ are about 2.6 cm long and 1.6 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid. When sepals first divide, the bud color is red pink (Group 48B) at the base fading to orange-brown (Group 34D) closer to the top. When half blown, the upper sides of the petals on the bud are orange-rRed Group 31A; and the lower sides of the petals are orange-red Group 31B.

The colour of the sepals on the upper surface is dark brown purple (Group 183A) while the lower surface is dark brown green (Group 146B). The length of the sepals is 2.3 cm on average and about 0.9 cm in width. The shape is subulate, their surface texture on the upper and on the lower surface is pubescent. There are 3 normally appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with canescent edges.

The receptacle is funnel shaped, medium sized, about 1.1 cm long and 0.9 cm wide, has a smooth surface. The colour of the receptacle is medium green (Group 144A), with dark brown (Group 166A) overlay before sepals unfurl.

The peduncle is strong and medium sized, averaging about 5 cm in length. The surface of the peduncle is prickly, the colour is medium green (Group 144A), with dark brown (Group 166A) overlay on young growth.

Bloom:

The flowers of this variety are medium sized, have an average diameter when fully open of about 7.1 cm. They are cupped when first open, the flower retains its form until the end, the outer petals curl slightly on the edges. The flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 140 on average.

The flowers are born several together in irregular clusters, of three to five blooms together. The flowering stems are strong, have a length of about 30 cm and with a diameter of 0.6 cm on average.

The colour of the flowers of ‘Queen of Sweden’ rose variety on the upper sides of the petals is light blue pink (Group 56C). The reverse sides of the petals are light blue pink (Group 56D). The base of each petal is medium yellow (Group 8B). The major color on the upper side is light blue pink (Group 56C). On the flowers of this rose variety the variegations is not observed.

The general tonality of the flowers at the end of the first day is light blue pink (Group 56C). The colour quickly becomes much lighter, at the end of the third day it is almost white (Group N155D).

Petals:

The texture and the surface of the petals is smooth. They have oval, notched shaped. The margin of the petals is slightly incurved, while the inner petals are undulating. The shape of the apex is emarginate and the base has pointed shape. The form of the petals is incurved, tips of outer petals slightly recurved. They are about 2.1 cm in width and 3.2 cm long on average. The petals arrangement is regular.

There are few petaloids per flower under normal growing conditions, about 3 per flower. The colour of petaloids is yellow (Group 12A).

The petals have good self cleaning quality, they drop off cleanly before drying. They do not last long, on a plant they last for about 2 days, same as a cut flower - for about 2 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of this variety is light, with a noticeable myrrh character.

Reproductive parts:

Number of stamens is about 50, they have a length of about 4 mm.

The anthers are about 1 mm long, dark yellow (Group 15A), they are regularly arranged around the styles and mixed with petaloids.

The filaments are dark yellow (Group 14B)and have a length of about 3 mm.

The colour of the pollen is dark yellow (Group 15A).

The number of pistils is 37 and they have a length of about 6 mm.

The styles are light green (Group 142D) and have a length of 5 mm.

Stigmas are medium yellow orange (Group 17A) and are about 1 mm long.

The hips of this variety have not been observed yet.

PLANT

The rose variety ‘Queen of Sweden’ is classified as Shrub rose from the David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. Has an upright and moderately vigorous growth habit. Forms bushy, compact plant. This rose variety comes to maturity rather quickly as for an English rose, usually on its 2 or 3rd growing season. The mature and well-established plant reaches the height of about 100 - 125 cm (4ft) and the width of about 75 - 90 cm (3 ft).

Due to its compact growth it would be an ideal choice for small spaces. The pale pink colour of its flowers combines well with silver toned foliage and with purple companion plants like salvia or lavender, which when planted low in front of her will make her pink blooms shine. The variety is shade tolerant, and her neat and upright growth makes it an ideal choice for planting as a low hedge, where it will work well to create a natural boundary.

Foliage:

The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves 5 most often, including terminal leaflet. There is a normal quantity of the foliage on the plants of this variety. The leaves are large, about 15.8 cm long and 8.3 cm wide. The new foliage on the upper side is medium green (Group 146A) with dark brown purple intonations (Group 183B) and on the lower side they have medium brown green (Group 147B), overlaid with dark brown purple (Group 183D). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 137A) and on the lower side it is medium brown green (Group 147B). The upper surfaces of new and old foliage are matte.

Leaflets:
The leaflets are medium to large sized, about 4.5 cm long and 3.5 cm wide. The leaflets have recognizable elliptic shape, with rounded base and cuspidate apex shape, however when the shape becomes more rounded as leaflet matures. The surface texture is smooth and leathery. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and small.

The petiole has medium green colour (Group 143C). The petiole rachis has the same medium green colour (Group 143C) and the uUnderside has few prickles and glands. The auricle shape is subulate, the stipules are about 2 cm long and are bearded.

The veins have light green colour (Group 145B), the venation pattern is deep and reticulate.

Wood:

The colour of the new wood is dark brown (Group 166A) and the bark is smooth. The old wood is medium green (Group 143A) and the bark is also smooth.

Stems:

The average mature stem has a length of about 39 cm and the aerage diameter of the stem is 6 mm. The internode distance is about 6.5 cm. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season.

Prickles:

There are usually few prickles on the main canes from base, about 5 per 10 cm per of the stem length. On laterals from main canes there are also few prickles, about 5 per 10 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward, they are about 9 mm long. The colour of the young prickles is dark red (Group 53B) and light green (Group N144A). The colour of the mature prickles is gray-brown (Group 199D).

Small prickles:

There are usually few small prickles on the main stalks is this variety, about 4 per 10 cm of the stem length. Toward the base of a stem the prickles are more densely arranged with 8-10 per 10 cm of the stem length. On laterals there is an ordinary quantity of small prickles, about 8 per 10 cm of the stem length. When young the colour of small prickles is light green (Group N144A) overlaid with dark red (Group 53B), when mature they have gray-brown colour (Group 199D).

Disease resistance:

This rose variety is well resistant to mildew, blackspot and rust under normal growing conditions. Pest resistance has not been tested yet.

The cold hardiness is good, recommended for growing in climates similar to USDA 5 and warmer.

The name of this rose was given to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between Queen Christina of Sweden and Oliver Cromwell of England in 1654.

English Shrub Roses

Gifu - The People's Choice, Gifu Rose Trials, 2007.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The rose variety of a Shrub rose plant named ‘Austiger’ / ‘Queen of Sweden’ originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling and the variety ‘Auspoly’ / ‘Charlotte’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose breeding was to produce a very free flowering and healthy rose variety, having soft pink, cupped blooms on a narrow bushy shrub.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The objective was substantially achieved, along with other desirable improvements, as evidenced by the following unique combination of characteristics:

 Soft pink blooms, touched with apricot.

 Flowers in the form of shallow, incurved cups.

 Upright, bushy shrub.

 Light myrrh fragrance.

Asexual reproduction of this rose variety by budding, as performed in Albrighton, UK, has demonstrated that the aforementioned characteristics, along with all other distinctions, remain consistent and are reliably transmitted through successive propagations.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

‘Austiger’ / ‘Queen of Sweden’ has less petalage and more upright growth than the seed parent.

The pollen parent ‘Auspoly’ / ‘Charlotte’ has large yellow blooms compared with the medium soft pink blooms of ‘Austiger’ / ‘Queen of Sweden’.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

‘Ausland’ / ‘Scepter'd Isle’ has soft pink blooms with less petalage than the apricot tinted blooms of ‘Austiger’ / ‘Queen of Sweden’. ‘Ausland’ / ‘Scepter'd Isle’ also has a less upright growth than ‘Austiger’ / ‘Queen of Sweden’.

USDA 5