Rose Scepter'd Isle

This beautiful rose produces many cup-shaped flowers, adorned with yellow stamens. These flowers are a delightful shade of light pink, which gradually fades towards the outer petals, and they emit a strong myrrh fragrance. The rose grows into a graceful, upright shrub, with its blossoms held elegantly above the leaves. Has excellent repeat flowering and very good resistance to diseases.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Scepter'd Isle' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, 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 a recurrent 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 'Scepter'd Isle' rose variety are medium sized, about 2.5 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is short, pointed ovoid. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is medium blue pink (Group 58D). When half open, the upper sides and the lower sides of the petals are light blue pink (Group 62C).

Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back.

The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is hairy and smooth on the upper surface and rough on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface and on the lower surface is light green (Group 144B). There are 3 normally appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle has medium green colour (Group 143B), funnel shaped and has a smooth, very slightly hairy surface. The receptacle is long, about 1 cm long and about 0.6 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 4.0 - 4.5 cm in length, erect and has a prickly surface. The colour of the peduncle is dark brown green (Group 146B).

Bloom:

The flowers of the 'Scepter'd Isle' rose variety are medium, the average diameter of the open flower is about 4.0 - 5.0 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped, the flower form persists until the end. Flowers are full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 45. They are born in small clusters having a flat shape, of 10 to 20 blooms together. The flowering stem has normal strength, medium sized, and has an average length of about 20 - 40 cm.

The upper sides of the outer petals are light blue pink (Group 56C), those of the inner petals are medium blue pink (Group 63C). The reverse sides of the outer petals are medium yellow (Group 4B) at their base, fading to white (Group 155A) at the edges with a hint of light blue pink (Group 56C). The reverse side of each inner petal is light blue pink (Group 65D). The major color on the upper sides is medium blue pink (Group 63C). Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is medium blue pink (Group 63C), and the colour remains unchanged at the end of the third day. Just before fading the colour becomes very pale, almost white.

Petals:

The texture of the petals is thin and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is round, the inner petals are folded but straighten out as bloom opens fully. The arrangement of the petals is slightly quartered, globular.

Normally the petaloids are not present in the center of the flowers of the 'Scepter'd Isle' rose variety.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, they normally drop off cleanly before drying. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly long, on the plant they last for about 5 to 6 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is rather short, about 3 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Scepter'd Isle' is strong, Myrrh in character.

Reproductive parts:

There are many stamens on the flowers of this rose variety, they are medium-sized, and they are regularly arranged around styles.

The anthers have a yellow colour.

The colour of the filaments is yellow as well.

The pollen is golden yellow.

The colour of the styles is light green (Group 149D).

Stigma has a yellow colour.

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed.

PLANT

The rose variety 'Scepter'd Isle' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is vigorous, upright and bushy. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 75 - 125 cm and the width of about 60 - 125 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 is normally 5, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side and on the lower side is dark brown green (Group 147A) with bronzy dark brown purple (Group 183B) shading. The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 137A) and on the lower side is medium brown green (Group 137C).

Leaflets:

The leaflets are medium-sized, about 4.5 - 6.0 cm long and about 3.0 - 4.0 cm wide, and the shape is broadly oval, the surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, slightly glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is small and single.

The petiole has medium green colour (Group 144A) and has prickles on the underside. The petiole rachis is medium green as well (Group 144A). The stipules are serrated, about 2.5 cm long, the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has light green colour and smooth bark. The mature wood is medium green (Group 144A), the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about cm and the diameter of mm, the internode distance is 20 - 40 cm. 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 is an ordinary quantity of prickles present on the main canes from base. On the laterals from main canes the quantity of prickles varies from few to ordinary. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward, they are medium sized. The colour of the young prickles is medium brown green (Group 146C) at base and dark brown dark purple red (Group 187B)at tip. Many of the prickle’s positions are just underneath the laterals.

Small prickles:

There are many small prickles on the main canes of this rose, and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety there are many prickles. When they are young the colour is medium brown green (Group 146C) at base and dark brown dark purple red (Group 187B) at tip.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Scepter'd Isle' 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 yet.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 5 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

The name is taken from John of Gaunt’s speech, expressing his love for England, in Shakespeare’s Richard II:

"This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,

This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,

This other Eden, demi-paradise,

This fortress built by Nature for herself

Against infection and the hand of war,

This happy breed of men, this little world,

This precious stone set in the silver sea,

Which serves it in the office of a wall,

Or as a moat defensive to a house,

Against the envy of less happier lands,

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England."

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausland’ / 'Scepter'd Isle' originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with a English rose variety ‘Ausblush’ / ‘Heritage’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety with great disease resistance and toughness with good repeat flowering ability.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 beautiful, cupped, soft pink flowers;

 strong myrrh fragrance;

 excellent repeat flowing:

 very good disease resistance.

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