Rose Sophy's Rose

'Sophy's Rose' is a charming and distinctive English shrub rose, known for its unusually flat, rosette-shaped blooms of light crimson with subtle purple undertones and paler petal undersides. The small central petals gradually increase in size toward the outer edge, forming a layered effect reminiscent of a dahlia or zinnia. Lightly scented with a soft Tea Rose fragrance, the flowers appear in small clusters. Its compact, twiggy growth, and excellent disease resistance make it an ideal choice for the front of borders or rose beds, especially in warmer climates where it stays neat and low.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Sophy's Rose' 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 “Sophy's Rose” 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 red pink (Group 53D) and red pink (Group 53C). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group 66A) with medium purple red (Group 61C) and the lower sides of the petals are dark blue pink (Group 63B).

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

The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is hairy on the upper surface and slightly prickly and waxy on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is light green (Group 144B) with medium brown purple (Group 181A) stripe down through the center of sepal. There are 3 normally appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is light green (Group 144B), funnel shaped and has a smooth, very slightly hairy surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 7.1 - 9.5 cm (2/8 to 3/8 inch) long and about 7.1 - 9.5 cm (2/8 to 3/8 inch) in diameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 2.5 – 4 cm (1 to 1 1/2 inches) in length, erect and has a smooth, prickly surface. The colour of the peduncle is medium brown purple (Group 182A) with light green (Group 144B).

Bloom:

The flowers are large to medium sized, the average diameter of the open flower is about 4 - 10 cm (3’ 1/2 to 4 inches). When first open, the flower form is cupped rosette. As the flowers age the shape becomes flat, a perfect rosette, outer petals curl back, the flower form persists until the end. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 82. They are born singly or several together, in pyramidal shaped clusters, of 2-4 blooms together. The flowering stem has normal strength, medium sized, and has an average length of about 20 - 60 cm (8 to 24 inches).

When first open the colour of the upper sides of the petals is medium purple red (Group 57A) and a bit darker (Group 57C). The reverse sides of the petals are dark blue pink (Group 64C) and dark blue pink (Group 67C). The base of each petal is medium yellow (Group 3C). The major color on the upper sides is medium purple red ( Group 57A). Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of rose variety “Sophy's Rose”.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is medium purple red (Group 57A), adn does not change significantly on the end of the third day. Further the tonality becomes lighter.

Petals:

The texture of the petals is leathery and the surface is smooth; the shape of the petals is oval, the tips slightly recurved on outer petals and moderately quilled on central petals. The arrangement of the petals is irregular.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, they are small in size. Petaloids have the same colour as the petals.

The petals of this rose variety normally hang on and dry. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly long, on the plant they last for about 5 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is 4 days on average.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Sophy's Rose' is moderate, of a light Tea character.

Reproductive parts:

There are many stamens present on the flowers of this rose variety, they have normal length and are partly tucked in calyx.

The anthers have medium yellow colour (Group 8A).

The colour of the filaments is medium yellow (Group 10A).

The pollen is dark yellow (Group 15A).

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

Stigma are medium yellow orange in colour (Group 23B).

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed.

PLANT

The rose variety 'Sophy's Rose' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is vigorous, bushy, very compact and rounded. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 110 - 120 cm and the width of about 110 - 120 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 5 to 7, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized, about 12.7 – 17.8 cm (5-7") long and about 10 – 15.2 cm (4”-6") wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is medium green (Group 144A) while the lower side is medium brown green (Group 146C). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 137A) and on the lower side is dark brown green (Group 146B).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium, the shape of the leaflets is oval, and the surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and small.

The petiole has light green colour (Group 144B). The petiole rachis is light green (Group 144B), their underside is smooth and with prickles.

The stipules are 1.9 cm long, medium sized.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has dark brown purple colour (Group 183B), the bark is smooth. The mature wood is light green (Group 144B) and medium green (Group 143B), from the mid-stem upwards medium brown purple (Group 184B), the bark is smooth.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 20 - 60 cm (8 to 24 inches). 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 and on the laterals from main canes. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward, the length is medium to short. The colour of the young prickles is dark purple red (Group 185A) with light green (Group 144B); the mature prickles have light brown colour (Group 165B). Prickles positioned mainly just underneath where the leaflet joins the stem.

Small prickles:

There are a few small prickles on the main canes of this rose. On the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety there are many small prickles. When they are young the colour is slightly transparent, medium brown (Group 165A).

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Sophy's Rose' 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 6 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named after Sophy, daughter of Wendy Fisher, who founded the Dyslexia Institute in 1972.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Auslot’ / 'Sophy's Rose' originated by David Austin by crossing a seed parent – English shrub rose ‘Auspero’ / ‘Prospero’ with an unnamed, unpatented seedling of unknown parentage.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety having good disease resistance, repeat flowering of old-fashioned shaped red flowers on a strong growing plant with a bushy habit.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 bushy growth habit ;

 strong upright growth;

 large, dome-shaped, red-purple 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