Rose Reine Lucia

An upright, thorny, deciduous shrub with ovate, glossy, dark to olive-green leaves. Large pointed deep yellow buds with occasional tint of red on the edges open into a large and fragrant, very double, deep lemon-yellow flowers which appear from late spring into autumn. Flowers are born in small clusters and create a spectacular show. Vigorous rose with excellent health, can be grown both as a shrub or as a climber.

FLOWER
Blooms in flushes throughout the season, starting from late spring or early summer, and until the frosts.

Flower bud:
Has large, pointed buds. They are about 2.5 cm long and 1.6 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl.

Sepals regularly arranged, they are medium green on the upper surface and medium gray-green on the lowers surface. Their length is about 2 cm and width of about 1 cm, shape is pointed. There are three lightly appendaged sepals. There are 2 unappendaged sepals with smooth edges.

Receptacles have medium green colour, they are pitcher shaped, small, with a length of about 1 cm and width of about 1.8 cm, smooth on the surface.

Bloom:
The flowers are large, with an average open diameter of about 10 – 12 cm. Borne mostly in small clusters, several together 3 – 5, but most often 7 having irregular shape.

Stems on which the flower resides are strong, with an average length of about 5.5 cm and diameter of about 3mm.

When the flowers first open, the bloom form is high-centered. And as the flower ages the petals curl back, forming a reflexed cup displaying the center of the flower with bright yellow stamens.

The number of petals under normal conditions is about 25.

The upper sides of the petals are deep lemon-yellow, and the reverse sides of the petals have a slightly lighter lemon-yellow colour.

The general tonality at end of first day is deep lemon-yellow, and becomes lighter as the flower ages, becoming light lemon-yellow before the petals fall off.

Petals:
The petals are round shaped, have smooth texture and surface, their average width is about 65 mm and the length is about 50 mm. Their margin is slightly reflexing outwards.

The apex shape is round, the base shape is pointed, have incurved form, and loosely arranged.

Under normal conditions no petaloid observed.

Petals dry out and fall off cleanly.

On the plant petals last about 5-7 days under normal growing conditions. As a cut flower - not tested.

Fragrance:
Has medium fruity fragrance.

Reproductive parts:
The average number of stamens is about 130, with length of about 1.8 cm.

Anthers have dark yellow orange colour, they arranged regularly around the styles.

The filaments are orange-red and about 1.8 mm long.

Pollen has dark-brown-orange colour.

The number of pistils is 70 on average, their length is about 5 mm.

Styles have length of about 6 mm and dark red orange colour.

Stigmas are about 1 mm long and have dark yellow orange colour.

Hips – not observed.

PLANT
Plant’s growth habit is strong, upright, and vigorous. Tends to shoot with very long basal canes up to 2 m high, therefore can be easily formed as a climber.

The mature plant has a height of about 150 – 200 cm and width of about 100 – 125 cm.

It will be an ideal choice as a shrub in a rose border or as a hedge, it will also create a stunning effect on the background of the mixed border, especially mixed with grasses, perennials or even with small trees.

Foliage:
There are normal quantity of leaflets on the average mid-stem, the average number of leaves is about 5-7, including terminal leaflet. The number of leaves per flowering stem is 6 on average. Number of leaflets on the normal flowering stem is 6 per 10 cm of the stem.

The foliage is medium, about 14 cm long and 9.5 cm wide.

New foliage has dark brown purple colour on the upper and the lower sides. Old foliage is dark green on the upper side and slightly lighter dark green on the lower side.

Leaflets:
The average size of the normal leaflets is about 7.5 cm long and 5.5 cm wide. They are oval shaped, the base shape is obtuse and the apex shape is acuminate.

The texture of the leaflets is leathery, edge is serrated, the type of serration is single and medium.

Wood:
The new wood has medium green colour , the bark is smooth. Old wood is medium brown green with smooth bark.

Stems:

Small prickles:
Small prickles are not present on the main and lateral canes.

Disease resistance:
It is moderately resistant to black spot and mildew, has good resistance to rust and botrytis under normal growing conditions. Pest resistance – not tested.

Also, her petals showed very good resistance to rain and heat.

Named after Lucia (c. 283-c. 304), an early Christian Italian saint and martyr. Her name means "the shining one" from Latin lux (the light). In Christian churches, December 13th is Lucia's day of remembrance.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY
Controlled pollination took place in Germany.

The female parent, or the seed parent was shrub rose ‘Zitronenfalter’ bred by Mathias Tantau, Jr., 1956.

The male parent, or the pollen parent was floribunda rose ‘Cläre Grammerstorf’ bred by Wilhelm J.H. Kordes II, 1955.

The result of the abovementioned cross pollination was a very healthy, vigorous growing variety with the attractive dark green leaves and large very double flowers of deep lemon yellow colour.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS
The seed parent is characterised by yellow, large flowers of high-centered flower form and the pollen parent was characterized by medium sized warm yellow, medium sized and very double flowers, while the new ‘KORlilub’ variety has large, very double deep lemon-yellow flowers. Also, the pollen parent has low and compact growth, while ‘KORlilub’ has vigorous growth and forms a large shrub, or even can be trained as climber, and its flowers have moderate, fruity fragrance.

USDA zone 5 and warmer