Rose Saint Cecilia

’’St Cecilia’ is an ideal English Rose where space is limited, for it manages to be both short and elegant at the same time. It bears its nicely cupped flowers widely spaced in open sprays; the stems are slightly arching so that the flowers bend forward to reach out to you in the most pleasing manner. The flowers are of medium size and pale buff-apricot turning almost white - a more attractive shade than words might convey. The combination of poise of flower and elegance of growth make it an excellent garden plant. Its foliage is not very plentiful, but is in just the right quantity to complement the general character of the rose. It has an unusually powerful myrrh fragrance. Unfortunately, it may be vulnerable to rust in certain districts where it would then require spraying.’ - David Austin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'St Cecilia' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the "Methuen Handbook of Colour" published by Eyre Methuen Ltd. (1963), except where common terms of color definition are employed. Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climatic conditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWERING

This rose variety has an abundant and continual flowering habit. Blooms in flushes with short breaks from summer until frosts. 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 'St Cecilia' rose variety are medium sized, about 3.3 cm long and 1.3 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is round with a long cuspidate tip. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is fraise (Group 11C7) fading to shell pink (Group 8A3). Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back.

The sepals have a length of about 3 cm and a width of 1 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture of the outer sepals slightly ridged and dented on the upper surface and inner margins are densely tomentose. The colour on the upper surface is deep green (Group 29D8) with faint pinkish brown blush on outer sepals, and on the lower surface is greyish green (Group 29D6). There are 3 normally appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with densely tomentose margins.

The receptacle is deep green (Group 29D8), goblet shaped and has a smooth, glabrous surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 0.8 - 1.0 cm long and about 1.0 - 1.2 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 4.0 - 6.0 cm in length, of a normal strength and has sparse red tipped glandular hairs on the surface. The colour of the peduncle is deep green (Group 30D8).

Bloom:

The flowers are medium-sized, the average diameter of the open flower is about 7 cm. When first open, the flower form is rounded, cupped, the flower form persists until the end. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions varied from 95 - 100. They are born in small clusters having rounded shape, of 2 to 5, mostly 4 blooms together.

The colour of the flowers when opening on the upper side of the outer petals is pastel yellow (3A4) at base changing pale pinkish white (9A2) to the tips; while the inner petals at the basal tip is yellow (3A6) fading through pastel yellow (3A4) to orange white (5A2). The underside of the outer petals at the basal tip is pastel yellow (3A4) fading through pale orange (5A3) to pale pinkish white (9A2); the inner petals at the basal tip light yellow (3A5) fading through pastel yellow (A4) to reddish white (8A2).

When the flowers fully open the colour of the upper side at the basal tip is yellow (2A6) fading through pale yellow (2A3) to very pale pinkish white (9A2). The underside and most of the petals at the basal tip is yellow (2A6) fading through pale yellow (2A3) to pinkish white (9A2).

The colour of the flowers when finished blooming on the upper side of the outer petals at the basal tip is pastel yellow (2A4) fading to a very, very pale pinkish color (10A2) while the inner petals are white (almost white). The underside of the outer petals at the same time becomes slightly darker pinkish color (10A2) and the inner petals are white (almost white).

Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of rose variety 'St Cecilia'.

Petals:

The texture of the petals is silky and the surface is smooth. The outer petals have rounded margins, smooth and slightly irregular at top, and the the base is shouldered and cuneate with the petal deeply cupped. The petals in the middle and in the inside are oblong, with broad top, round, margin irregular and the base is acute, the form of the petal is slightly cupped. There are about 95 - 100 average petals and the 6 - 8 inner petals resemble stamens grown together to in turn resemble petals petaloids. The arrangement of the petals is quartered.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, normally dropping its petals quickly leaving a tidy looking rose. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly long, on the plant they last for about 7 - 9 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is also about 7 - 9 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'St Cecilia' is strong, of an English Rose myrrh character with lemon and almond blossom.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 110 on average per flower.

The anthers have yellow colour (Group 3A6).

The colour of the filaments is light yellow / sun yellow (Group 2A5), they have irregular heights.

The number of pistils is 125 - 135 on average.

The colour of the styles is greyish yellow (Group 1B4) at the base changing to light yellow / sulphur yellow (Group 1A5), of irregular height and hairy.

Stigma is light yellow (Group 3A5).

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed.

PLANT

The rose variety 'St Cecilia' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. It is a very universal rose, has strong, twiggy, bushy growth that is ideal for a position towards the front of a border. It can be both formed as a short or a large shrub. Height varies depending on the climate. The growth character is powerful and vigorous. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 110 - 180 cm / 3' 7" - 5' 11" cm and the width of about 90 – 100 cm / 2' 11" - 3' 3" cm.

Foliage:

There is a normal quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose variety. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves varies from 3 to 5, but most often 7, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is deep green / parrot green (Group 30E8) with reddish brown (Group 8D5) mid rib and margins; while the lower side is greyish green (Group 29D6) with violet brown (Group 11E5) blush and at margins. The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 28F8) and on the lower side is greyish green (Group 28E6).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium, the shape of the leaflets is ovoid with rounded base and cuspidate apex. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, dull. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and medium.

The petiole has deep green / parrot green colour (Group 30E8), groove margins and nodes tinged with brownish violet (Group 11D7), and is about 8 - 9.5 cm long. The groove is sparsely lined with red glandular hairs, the underside greyish yellow (Group 2B4) with pale pink tinge (Group 10A2) and with occasional red glandular hairs.

The stipules are 2 - 2.5 cm long and about 0.6 - 0.8 cm wide, the angle of wingtips to petiole is about 45 degree. The colour of the stipules is greyish yellow (Group 1B5), has a linear or slightly convex, finely toothed with red tipped glandular hairs, and the mid rib has greyish red colour (Group 10D5).

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has greyish green colour (Group 29D7), the bark is smooth. The mature wood is deep green / parrot green (Group 30E8) and the bark is rough.

Stems:

The stem pubescence is not observed on the stems of this rose variety. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season.

Prickles:

There are normal quantity of prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes, about 2-5 per node. The prickles are about 1-3 mm. The colour of the young prickles is brownish red (Group 10C7) with greyish yellow (Group 1B4); the mature prickles have brownish violet / wine red colour (Group 11D8).

Small prickles:

There are numerous red glandular hairs on the main canes of this rose and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'St Cecilia' has good resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to mildew, blackspot and rust under normal growing conditions. The pest resistance has not been tested. IN colder and wet climates somewhat susceptible to rust.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 6 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

David Austin in 1987 dedicated this rose to St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausmit’ / 'St Cecilia' originated by David Austin and it was derived as follows: - Female parent (seed parent) - ‘AUSwife’ / ‘Wife of Bath’. - Male parent (pollen parent) - Unnamed seedling.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety with abundant and continual blooming that occurs for 5 months combined with the perfection of the very full flowers of an old-fashioned shape.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The objective was achieved, along with other important improvements, and this rose variety incorporated the following unique combination of characteristics:

 abundant and continual flowering;

 vigorous, broad and upright growth habit, suitable for growing as a climber;

 very full buff-apricot turning almost white old shaped flowers.

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

USDA zone 5 and warmer