Rose Sharifa Asma

The blooms of this rose are a vision of softness and refinement - shallowly cupped at first, then opening into full, rosette-shaped flowers composed of tightly packed, incurved petals. The coloring is a blend of soft shell pink and blush, with hints of peach or pale apricot at the base and nearly white on the outermost petals. As the blooms mature, they display a gentle translucence, almost like mother-of-pearl, giving each flower a luminous quality that seems to glow from within. The fragrance is intense, rich, and unmistakably fruity, developing notes of white grapes, mulberries, and classic Old Rose musk. Forms very compact and attractive plants densely covered with dark green foliage, but it takes a couple years to establish.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Sharifa Asma' 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 'Sharifa Asma' rose variety are medium sized, about 2.7 cm long and 1.3 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is rounded with a cuspidate apex. When half open, the colour of the petals is brownish red / fraise (Group 11C7) fading to pale orange (Group 5A3). Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back.

The sepals have a length of about 2.3 cm, the shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is smooth on the upper surface and tomentose on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is deep green (Group 29D8) variably streaked with brownish red / raspberry (red) (Group 10D7) and on the lower surface is greyish green (Group 29D7). The outer margins of the sepals are occasionally toothed, with sparse red glandular hairs and the inner margins of the sepals are densely tomentose.

The receptacle is deep green (Group 29D8), has a smooth and glabrous surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 1 cm long and about 0.8 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is mostly about 7 cm in length when the first flowers appear in a group of 3 or 4 blooms together, and later the peduncle becomes shorter, about 6 cm. The peduncle is of normal strength and has medium dense red glandular hairs on the surface. The colour of the peduncle is greyish green / lattuce green (Group 30D7).

Bloom:

The flowers are medium-sized to large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 7.5 cm. When first open, the flower form is flattened cupped, with flat top and base rounded outer petals recurved towards the peduncle. As the flowers fully open they reveal a rosette center, sometimes with a button-eye. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 90. They are born in small clusters of 1 to 5 blooms together, but mainly 4.

When first open the colour of the upper sides of the outer petals is primary yellow / primrose (Group 2A6) at the base fading to pale red / rose pink (Group 11A3) to the tips; while the inner petals on the upper side are yellow / genet (Group 3A7) at the base fading through pastel yellow (Group 3A4) to pale red / Venetian pink (Group 10A3) to the tips. The reverse sides of the outer petals are primary yellow / primrose (Group 2A6) fading to faint pale red / rose pink (Group 11A3) tinge; the reverse of the inner petals is light yellow (Group 3A5) at the base fading through pastel yellow (Group 3A4) to pale red (Group 9A3).

When fully open the color of the flowers on the upper sides of the petals is light yellow / chrome yellow (Group 2A7) at the base fading through pale / yellowish white (Group 2A2) to reddish white / pinkish white (Group 9A2); most of the petals have primary yellow / primrose colour (Group 2A6) at the base fading to faint pale red / rose pink (Group 11A3). The reverse sides of the petals are yellow / chrome yellow (Group 2A7) at the base fading through pale yellow (Group 2A3) to reddish white / pinkish white (Group 9A2); most of the petals colour is yellow / primrose colour (Group 2A6) at the base fading to faint pale red / rose pink (Group 11A3) tint.

When finishing blooming the flowers the colour on the upper side of the outer petals is pastel yellow (Group 2A4) fading to pale red / rose pink (Group 11A3) and the inner petals are pale yellow (Group 2A3) at the base fading through milk white (Group 1A2) to a very pale reddish or pinkish white (Group 11A2). The reverse sides of the outer petals are pale / yellowish white (Group 2A2) at the basal zone fading to pale reddish or pinkish white (Group 11A2) while the inner petals on the reverse sides are pale yellow (Group 2A3) fading through white to a very, very pale pale reddish or pinkish white (Group 11A2).

Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

Petals:

The texture of the petals is soft, however the outer petals are more leathery, the surface is smooth. The shape of the outer petals is rounded with roughly bilobed top and shoulder cordate apex, the form of the outer petals is cupped, ie. not flat. The petals in the middle have an ovate shape with broad tip and acute rounded base, the form is slightly cupped. The petals in the centre of the flowers are folded lengthwise in half, are heart-shaped, with the base acute and the top bilobed.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, they normally drop off cleanly from the plants. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly short, on the plant they last for about 3 - 5 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is about 8 days on average.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Sharifa Asma' is very strong and complex; with notes of white grape, mulberry, and Old Rose.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 70 on average per flower.

The anthers have dark margins and golden yellow with paler yellow centers.

The colour of the filaments is yellow at base, with magenta shading towards apex, their length is irregular.

The number of pistils is 100 on average.

The styles have straw colour.

Stigmas also are straw colored.

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed.

PLANT

The rose variety 'Sharifa Asma' is classified as a Shrub rose. The growth character is bushy, strong and moderately vigorous. The shrub has a compact, upright habit with strong stems and a bushy, tidy appearance. It is ideal for smaller spaces, containers, or grouped plantings. The canes bear a modest number of small, reddish prickles. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 125 cm and the width of about 90 cm.

It is best grown in partial shade or in a location protected from harsh afternoon sun, as the delicate petals can scorch in extreme heat. With regular feeding, watering, and mulch, this rose will reward you with repeat flushes from late spring until frost. Patience is sometimes required when growing 'Sharifa Asma', as it may take a couple of years for the shrub to fully establish and show its best performance, but the result is more than worth the wait.

Foliage:

There is an abundant 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 and to 7, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is deep green (Group 29E8) with the midrib of violet brown shading (Group 10F8) while the lower side is deep green (Group 29D8) with extensive violet brown (Group 10E8) shading more pronounced towards margins. The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 28F7) and on the lower side is greyish green / spinach green (Group 29E6).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium, they are about 6 cm long. The shape of the leaflets is ovoid, the shape of the leaflet tip is cuspidate and the base shape is rounded cordate. The surface texture of the leaflets is more or less bumpy, leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and medium.

The petiole on the upper side has deep green colour (Group 29D8) variable shaded around groove margins with violet brown (Group 10E8) also at nodes and sparsely lined with red tipped glandular hairs. The underside of the petiole is deep green (Group 29D8) fading to greyish yellow (Group 1B5) in midline and has about 2 - 5 prickles per node of brownish red (Group 10C6) colour and sparse red glandular hairs. The length of the petiole is 11 cm on average.

The stipules are 2.1 cm long and about 6 mm wide. The angle of wingtips to petiole is about 45°. The colour of the stipules is deep green (Group 29D8) shaded with violet brown (Group 10E8). The shape of the stipules is linear or slightly convex, they are lined with red tipped glandular hairs.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has deep green colour (Group 28D8), with longest branches shaded with violet brown (Group 10EB), the bark is smooth. The mature wood is deep green (Group 28E8) and the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The stem pubescence is not observed on the stems of this rose variety.

Prickles:

There is a normal number of prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes. The length of the prickles is variable, varying from 1 to 9 mm. The colour of the prickles is brownish red (Group 10D6) fading to greyish yellow (Group 1B5).

Small prickles:

There are few small prickles on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety, they are about 1 mm in length. When they are young the colour is violet brown (Group 10E8) fading to grayish red (Group 7B3).

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Sharifa Asma' has normal resistance to most common rose diseases, in particular it is resistant to mildew, blackspot and rust under normal growing conditions. It can be susceptible to blackspot in humid climates and to thrips in hot, dry weather.

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

This rose was named after an Omani princess at the request of her family.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausreef’ / 'Sharifa Asma' originated by David Austin by crossing female parent (seed parent) - English shrub rose ‘Ausmary’ / ‘Mary Rose’ with the male parent (pollen parent) - English shrub rose ‘Ausmira’ / ‘Admired Miranda’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety with vigorous abundant and continual blooming that occurs for 5 months taken 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:

 full, pale pink flowers which fade to pinkish-white on the outer petals with a hint of yellow at the base of the petals;

 abundant continual blooming and the unusual blend of coloring and shaping of the flowers;

 strong fragrance.

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