Rose St. Swithun

Magnificently vigorous English Rose, originally introduced as a shrub but now prized as a tall, graceful climber. It produces large, saucer-like rosettes packed with countless soft pink petals, paling delicately toward the edges and centered with a charming button eye. The blooms carry a rich and powerful myrrh fragrance, perfuming the garden with their classic Old Rose scent. New growth emerges with bronze-tinged leaves that mature to a smooth, greyish-green, complementing the lush display of flowers. Although repeat-flowering may be lighter until the plant matures, it rewards patience with abundant beauty and a romantic, flowing presence.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'St. Swithun' 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 'St. Swithun' rose variety are medium sized, about 2 to 5 cm long and about 2 to 5 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is blunt topped, globular. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is medium orange pink (Group 37A) and pink (Group 37B). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are light orange pink (Group 29D) and the lower sides of the petals are light red pink (Group 39C) and light red pink (Group 39D).

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

The sepals have a lanceolate shape and a fairly smooth surface. The colour on the upper and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 144A) and light green (Group 144B). There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with smooth, downy edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 144A) and light green (Group 144B), slender goblet shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 1.1 cm long and about 1 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium-sized, averaging to about 2.5 to 3 cm in length, bending, heavy and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is medium green (Group 144A).

Bloom:

The flowers are large to medium sized, the average diameter of the open flower is about 7 to 8 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped, tea-rose type. As flowers mature the shape flattens to form a rosette with a quartered petals arrangement and a button-eye in the center, the outer petals curl back slightly. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is varying from 120 to 130. They are born in singly or several together clusters having irregular shape, of blooms 3-5 together. The flowering stem has normal strength, long, and has an average length of about 60 to 70 cm.

The colour of the upper sides of the outer petals is light orange pink (Group 27C and 27D) while the inner petals are light red pink (Group 36A and 36C). The colour of the reverse sides of the petals is light orange pink (Group 27D) on the outer petals and light red pink (Group 36A and 36C) on the inner petals. The base of each petal has a yellow tinge of light yellow (Group 12C), deepening to medium yellow (Group 12A) at the tip. The major color on the upper side of the flowers is light red pink (Group 36A and 36C).

The general tonality at the end of the first day is light red pink (Group 36A), at the end of the third day the general tonality does not change, remaining light red pink (Group 36D).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is soft and the surface is smooth, the shape of the outer petals is round, notched and the inner petals are more ovoid, deltoid, with a flat top. Tips slightly curved, and the tips of the outer petals slightly quilled. The arrangement of the petals is quartered rosette, with central petals tucked into calyx, and few petaloids in the center.

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 3 to 4 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is also about 3 to 4.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'St. Swithun' is moderate, with citrus and musk character.

Reproductive parts:

There are many stamens on the flowers, they are medium long and are regularly arranged around styles, mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have golden yellow colour.

The colour of the filaments is yellow.

The pollen is golden yellow.

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

Stigmas are yellow.

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed yet.

PLANT

The rose variety 'St. Swithun' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is vigorous, bushy, powerful and spreading. Mature and well-established plants have a height of about 300 - 400 cm (8’–13) and the width of about 90 - 125 cm (2'- 4'). With its arching canes 'St. Swithun' is ideal for trailing over walls, pillars, or large trellises.

Foliage:

There is a normal distribution of leaves on the stem for this rose class. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves varies from 5 to occasionally 7, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized, about 13 to 14 cm long and about 10 to 11 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 146A) and dark brown green (Group 146B) with dark brown purple (Group 178A) blush on margins. The mature foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 147A).

Leaflets:

The leaflets are medium sized, the shape is pointed oval, the surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, and matt. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is small and medium.

The petiole has medium green colour, and has 1 to 3 small prickles per internode, and slightly glandular surface texture.

The petiole rachis is medium green. The stipules are 2.2 cm long, have a glandular surface, the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety is light green, slightly reddish, and the bark is smooth. The mature wood is green, the bark remains smooth.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 60 to 70 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 and on the laterals from main canes present on the main canes from base. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward, the length is medium. The colour of the young prickles is red, turning transparent to the tips.

Small prickles:

There are few small prickles on the main canes of this rose, on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety there are many prickles. Small prickles are pinkish and transparent to the tips.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'St. Swithun' 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 St. Swithun, Bishop of Winchester, to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the consecration of Winchester Cathedral.

English Climbing Rose

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Auswith’ / 'St. Swithun' originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with English rose variety ‘Ausmary’ / ‘Mary Rose’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety with a repeat flowering and pink, old-fashioned-shaped flowers.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 paler pink flowers than either parent;

 fully double rosette flowers;

 large blooms;

 petals varying in color on each flower.

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