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.

FLOWER Observations made from specimens grown in a garden environment at Albrighton, Wolverhampton, England in July 1996.

Blooming habit: Recurrent.

Flower bud. Buds are 25 mm long when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is short, pointed ovoid. When sepals first divide, bud color is medium blue pink (Group 58D). When half blown, the upper sides of the petals are light blue pink (Group 62C); and the lower sides of the petals are light blue pink (Group 62D).

Sepals are light green (Group 144B), topsides are hairy and smooth, rough undersides. There are three normally appendaged sepals. There are two unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

Receptacle medium green (Group 143B), funnel shaped, about 10 mm long and 6 mm wide, the surface is smooth, slightly hairy.

Peduncle is medium (40-45 mm), with prickly surface, dark brown green (Group 146B), strength - erect.

Bloom:

Medium sized bloom with average open size is 40-50 mm, borne several together in flat clusters of 10 to 20 blooms. Stems are medium, normal; their average length is about 200-400 mm; old and new wood medium green (Group 144A). When the flowers first open, they are cupped and outer petals curl back as the flower ages. Number of petals under normal conditions: 45. The first flowers are very full. The second flowers have fewer petals and show stamens.

Color. 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). Variegations not observed. The general tonality at the end of the first day doesn’t change and at the end of the third day also remains without changes.

Flowers have a strong myrrh fragrance.

Petals have thin texture, they are round, when young the inner petals are folded but straighten out as bloom opens fully.

Flowers slightly quartered, globular, with no petaloids in the center. Petals drop off cleanly before drying. Flowers last on the plant for quite long (about 5 to 6 days) and as a cut flower about 3 days.

Reproductive parts. Anthers are medium sized, many, yellow, arranged regularly around the styles. Filaments and stigmas have yellow colour, pollen is golden-yellow, styles have light green colour (Group 149D).

‘Scepter'd Isle’ classified as a shrub rose. It has vigorous, upright, bushy growth. Mature plant is about 125 cm in height and 125 cm in width.

Foliage. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is 5, they are medium-sized (45-60 mm long and 30-40 mm wide), the quantity is normal. New foliage on the upper and lower surface has dark brown green colour (Group 147A) with bronzy dark brown purple (Group 183B) shading. Old foliage has dark green (Group 137A) colour on the upper surface and medium brown green (Group 137C) colour on the lower surface.

Leaflets have a broadly oval shape; the texture is lathery, slightly glossy on the upper side; edges are serrated, serration is small and single. Petiole rachis is medium green (Group 144A), petiole’s underside has prickles. The stipules are medium (25 mm), serrated.

The variety is resistant to mildew and blackspot under normal growing conditions at Albrighton, Wolverhampton, England.

The new wood has light green colour, smooth texture. The old wood is green and smooth as well. The quantity of prickles on main canes from base is ordinary; on laterals from main canes - some few, some ordinary. The prickles are medium, hooked downward, their colour when young are medium brown green (Group 146C) at base and dark purple red (Group 187B) at tip. Many of the prickle’s positions are just underneath the laterals. There are many small prickles on the main stalks and on laterals; they are medium brown green (Group 146C) at base and dark purple red (Group 187B) at tip.

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

The primary objective of this breeding was to produce a new shrub rose variety having great toughness and repeat flowering ability. The objective was substantially achieved, along with other desirable improvements, as evidenced by the following unique combination of characteristics that are outstanding in the new variety and that distinguish it from its parents, as well as from all other varieties: 1. Beautiful, cupped, soft pink flowers; 2. Strong myrrh fragrance; 3. Excellent repeat flowing; and 4. Very good disease resistance.

Asexual reproduction of this new variety by budding, as performed at Albrighton, Wolverhampton, England shows that the foregoing and all other characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.

Parentage: Seed parent - an unnamed seedling. Pollen parent - variety ‘Ausblush’ / ‘Heritage’

USDA zone 5 and warmer