Rose Sally Holmes


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Health:


Registration code:
Breeder: Robert A. Robert A. Holmes
Year of introduction: 1976
Introduced by: Holmes, the UK

Main color: White
Flowering: Repeat flowering
Flower size: Medium to large
Aroma: Light, pleasant, fresh with hints of musk
200 - 400 cm / 6' 7" - 13' 1"
100 - 200 cm / 3' 3" - 6' 7"

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Characteristics

Main color: White

Color: Creamy white, ivory with a pink tint, fading to white

Flowering: Repeat flowering

Flower size: Medium to large

Flower: Semi-double, expanded, flat, in large clusters

Foliage: Dark green, medium, glossy, leathery

Aroma: Light, pleasant, fresh with hints of musk

Class: Hybrid Musk

Sub-class: Hybrid Musk, Shrub rose

Type: Large shrub

Growth type: Arching, Climbing, Spreading, Tall, Upright

Height: 200 - 400 cm / 6' 7" - 13' 1"

Width: 100 - 200 cm / 3' 3" - 6' 7"


Description

‘Sally Holmes’ is one of the most extraordinary and unprecedented Musk roses, the result of an amateur crossbreeding that combines traits from varieties professionals might not have considered to cross. Its large, single flowers appear in enormous clusters reminiscent of its seed parent ‘Ballerina’, while the size and diameter of the blooms (8–10 cm) are closer to those of its pollen parent, the Floribunda rose ‘Ivory Fashion’.

Although bred in the UK, ‘Sally Holmes’ thrives best in warm climates with nutrient-rich soil, where it can reach up to 400 cm when supported or up to 200 cm as a dense decorative shrub. The fragrance is soft musk and the plant is covered with glossy dark green foliage, the flowering is abundant, and continues throughout the vegetation season.

Flowers and Blooms

From delicate, pointed, pink-apricot buds, slowly emerge large (9–10 cm), single flowers with 4–8 petals. The blooms are flat in shape with long golden stamens in the center (which becomes darker over time) and are gathered in relatively large clusters of 10–40 flowers. Initially, the blooms are creamy white or ivory with a hint of pink, sometimes lilac-pink in cooler weather, but they gradually fade to shining white. The flowers are exceptionally long-lasting and resistant to both heat and rain, retaining their beauty for extended periods. In rainy weather, they may develop pink speckles but still remain decorative.

The blooms release a soft, pleasant fragrance with musk undertones. While an individual flower may not be strongly scented, the mass of blooms spreads a noticeable and delightful aroma. Normally there are up to 40 flower buds in large pyramidal clusters. The flower clusters are so profuse that, in full bloom, the plant becomes completely covered with a "foam" of white flowers, almost hiding the foliage beneath.

Flowers in clusters open gradually, so flowering lasts for an extended period of time. At the same time, the variety quickly repeats the flowering. The color of the flowers is dominated with cream and honey shades, they blend well with each other and fade to pure white as they age. Fading does not reduce the beauty of flowers, faded flowers and colour change do not make the bush ugly and unattractive compared to the beginning of its flowering.

Growth and Habit
This rose forms large plants. The shrub is vigorous and well-branched, growing to 150 - 200 cm in height and about 100 - 200 cm in width.Its long, flexible stems are strong enough to support large clusters of blooms that appear in clusters on dense, flexible and almost prickless flowering stems. When grown as a climber, it can reach up to 400 cm, but in windy areas, the canes should be tied to prevent breakage.

The foliage is semi-glossy, bright to dark green, with slightly shiny, pinnate leaves composed of 3 - 5 pointed, oval leaflets. While the leaves are attractive, the base of the shrub may appear sparse. It is suitable for mixed borders, hedges and single plantings. Can be used for cut flowers, as a bush rose in the garden in landscape compositions or mixed borders, as a soliter on the lawn or as a climber grown on pillars or arches. Very energetic and shade tolerant rose with great disease resistance.

Care Requirements

Light: Thrives in full sun or partial shade.

Soil: Prefers well-drained, nutrient-rich soil.

Pruning: In spring, remove old, dead, or diseased wood and any crossing branches. In warmer climates, cut back remaining growth by one-third. In colder regions, prune to live wood, which may require more substantial pruning.

Watering: Requires consistent moisture for optimal health. Twice-weekly watering is ideal.

Disease Resistance: Very resistant to diseases, though it may develop black spot or powdery mildew late in the season or under poor growing conditions.

Cold Hardiness

This rose is hardy to USDA Zone 5b (-30°C/-22°F) and thrives in warmer climates as well. In extremely cold regions, winter protection is recommended.

‘Sally Holmes’ is a very well-known rose variety that has received numerous awards and international recognition, but not everyone knows about it. In Europe, it is commonly planted as hedges, because it can spread up to 4 meters in width. If you want to have a compact plant with a diameter of about 1.5 m - this is easily achieved as it withstands pruning really well! Large clusters of flowers form large bouquets and have a delicate musk fragrance. The flowers are large (about 8 - 9 cm), simple in form (4 - 8 petals), cupped to flat, ivory with pink tint at the beginning of flowering, have charming shiny yellow stamens and satiny texture of the petals.

The flowers appear in very large clusters of 20 - 40 of very beautiful long pointed creamy buds with long pinnate sepals. The flowering is long-lasting, repeated, abundant, and simply stunning - in the first flush, the leaves are almost invisible under the large white caps of flowers. Has a soft wonderful fragrance with a light musky note. Quite resistant to diseases. Will withstand winter with temperature below -30C, but will require a winter protection in colder weather.


Name origin

The rose is named in honor of Sally Holmes (born after 1920 in Northern Ireland - April 12, 2012), the wife of the breeder Robert A. Holmes.


Awards

‘Sally Holmes’ has won numerous prestigious awards, including:

Gold Medal, Portland Rose Society (1993).

Monza Gold Medal (1979).

Baden-Baden Gold Medal (1980).

Induction into the Rose Hall of Fame as “World’s Favorite Rose” (2012).


Parentage

Rose variety ‘Sally Holmes’ originated by Robert A. Holmes by crossing Floribunda rose ‘Ivory Fashion’ by Eugene S. Boerner, b. 1957 with the Hybrid Musk rose ‘Ballerina’ by Bentall, 1937.


Climate zones

USDA 7



Growing tips

roses for full sun areas Sun position: Grows well on full sun.
soil reuirements Preference in type of soils:
rose prunning tips Prunning: Requires deadheading after the flowering.

Health

Black spots:

Mildew:

Botrytis:

Rust:

Rain resistance:

Cold hardy:

Heat resistance:


Published Jan. 23, 2025, 9:31 p.m. by Галина Микитинець

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