Rose Tea Clipper

Rich apricot, nicely quartered rosettes appear in small clusters in flushes. The beauty of its flowers is complemented with s strong and complex tea, myrrh and fruit fragrance. Particularly healthy variety has good resistance to all main rose diseases. Forms quite tall, upright and almost thornless shrub, and can be easily trained as a short climber.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY
The following is a detailed description of ‘Tea Clipper’ rose cultivar with color descriptions using terminology in accordance with The Royal Horticultural Society (London) Colour Chart (2001), except where ordinary dictionary significance of color is indicated.

The observations described below were made by David Austin made from plants commencing at one year of age grown in a garden environment at Albrighton, The UK.

FLOWER
‘Tea Clipper’ has recurrent blooming habit, blooms in flushes from late spring / early summer until the frosts. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse — there are too many to count.

Flower bud:
Has average sized buds, about 2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed ovoid. When sepals first divide, the bud color is dark yellow orange (Group 22A) and orange-red (Group N34A) close to sepals and base. When half blown, the upper sides of the petals are medium yellow orange (Group 23C) from the top half of petal, medium yellow (Group 12B) from the basal half, and the lower sides of the petals are medium yellow orange (Group 23C) on the top half of petal, and medium yellow (Group 12B) from the basal half.

Sepals have light green colour (Group 144B) on the upper surface and light green (Group N144C) on the lower surface. The average length of the sepals is about 2.7 cm and the width is about 1.0 cm. Their shape is subulate, the surface texture on the upper surface is pubescent and on the lower surface is rough, has some glands. There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and 2 unappendaged sepals with canescent edges.

Receptacle has light green colour (Group 144A), smooth surface and campanulate shape; the average length is about 0.9 cm and width is about 0.9 cm.

Peduncles have medium length and normal strength, averaging to about 4-5 cm. The surface is very glandular, has light green colour (Group 144A).

Bloom:
The flowers of ‘Tea Clipper’ are large, the average open diameter of the normal flower is about 9.3 cm. Flowers are born several together in irregular compound corymb clusters of four to five blooms, or singularly.

The form when the flowers first open is cupped, changing later to flat quartered rosette as the flower ages, the outer petals curl back. The number of petals under normal conditions is 100 on average.

Has very pleasant colour. The upper sides of the outer and middle petals are yellow-orange (Group 14D) on the top half, and medium yellow (Group 12B) closer to the basal half. The upper sides of the inner petals are light yellow orange (Group 22D) on the top half and medium yellow (Group 12A) closer to the basal half. The reverse sides of the outer and middle petals are yellow-orange (Group 14D) on the top half, medium yellow (Group 12B) on the basal half. The inner petals are medium yellow orange (Group 20B) on the top half and medium yellow (Group 12A) on the basal half. No variegations observed on the petals.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is yellow-orange (Group 14D). At the end of the third day light yellow (Group 13D and 12B).

Petals:
The petals have smooth texture and surface, the average width is about 1.9 cm and the length is about 3.6 cm. Petals have obovate shape, notched margins; the apex of the petals has obcordate, somewhat obtuse shape; base has cuneate shape. Petals are incurved, with tips recurved and all very outer petals recurved. The arrangement is quartered.

Petaloids not observed usually on flowers in normal growing conditions.

Petals drop off cleanly before drying.

The petals last on the plant fairly long, about 4 days. As a cut flower also about 4 days.

Fragrance:
The variety has very strong, complex fragrance with aspects of tea, myrrh and fruit.

Reproductive parts:
The average number of stamens per flower is about 10-15, and the length is about 5 mm.

Anthers has average length of 2 mm and dark yellow (Group 13A), they are regularly arranged around the styles.

Filaments have length of 3 mm on average and medium yellow colour (Group 8B).

Pollen is dark yellow (Group 13A).

The average number of pistils is about 65-70, the length is about 11 mm.

Styles have average length of 10 mm and light yellow colour (Group 8C).

Stigmas are medium yellow orange (Group 11A), about 1 mm long.

Hips not observed.

PLANT

‘Tea Clipper’ has vigorous, very branchy growth habit. Forms very large shrub, with very long, slightly arching stems. At maturity the height varies between 150 – 185 cm, and has width of 100 – 120 cm. Provided support, can be easily trained as a small climber.

Foliage:
The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is 5 to 7 (including terminal leaflet). It is large, the average length of the leaf is about 15.9 cm, and the width is about 11.5. The quantity of leaves on the plant is normal, the average number leaves per flowering stem is about 7.

The new foliage on the upper side is dark green brown (Group 152A) with dark purple red (Group 185A) concentrated around margin; and the lower side is dark purple red (Group 185A)

The old foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 139A) and medium brown green (Group 147B) on the lower side.

Leaflets:
Leaflets are quite large, have average length of about 6 cm and the average width of about 4.8 cm. They are broadly oval, with rounded base shape and acuminate apex. The leaf texture is smooth and dull/matt. Edges are serrated, the type of serration is mainly large and single. Vein colour and light green (Group N144D), venation pattern is reticulate.

Petiole have medium green colour (Group 144A), the length is about 4.5-5.5 cm, and the width is about 2 mm. Surface texture is smooth, with prickles on underside.

Petiole rachis has prickles on the underside, the colour is light green (Group N144D).

Stipules have length of 2 cm on average, glandular and medium green (Group 143B).

Auricle shape is subulate, the width is about 2mm at the base and the length is about 1 cm, tapering to a point, has medium green colour (Group 143B).

Wood:
The new wood has medium brown green colour (Group 146C) and smooth bark. The old wood has a slightly lighter medium brown green colour (Group 146A) and smooth bark.

Stems:
The stems have normal strength. Average mature flowering stem has length of about 40 cm and diameter of about 5 mm. The internode distance is about 7-8 cm. The above measurements are all variable, and depend on the growing conditions and the season.

Prickles:
The quantity of the prickles on main canes from base are very few, about 2 per 10 cm stem length. On laterals from main canes also few, about 2 per 30 cm per stem length.

Prickles have concave curved inward form, the length is about 6 mm. Their colour when young is dark red (Group 47A). The colour of the mature prickles is light yellow brown (Group 161B).

Small prickles:
Small prickles are not observed on the main and on the laterals from the main stalks.

Disease resistance:
The variety showed good resistance to mildew, blackspot, botrytis and rust under normal growing conditions. Pest resistance not tested.

Has quite good winter hardiness, proved to be hardy in climate zones 5 - 9.

Named for the last and finest of the sailing ships.

English Shrub Rose

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY
This variety of the shrub rose was originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with another unnamed, unpatented seedling.

Parentage:

Seed parent - unnamed Seedling, unpatented.

Pollen parent - unnamed Seedling, unpatented.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY
The primary objective of the breeding was to produce a repeat flowering, very healthy rose plant with fragrant apricot blooms on a tall shrub.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY
The objective was substantially achieved, along with other desirable improvements, as evidenced by the following unique combination of characteristics that are outstanding in the variety ‘Ausrover’ / ‘Tea Clipper’ and that distinguish it from its parents, as well as from all other varieties:

1. Quartered, rosette shaped blooms of a rich apricot color.
2. A tall, upright and almost thornless shrub.
3. A strong, complex fragrance of tea, myrrh and fruit.

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

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS
The seed parent has stiffer, more upright growth than ‘Ausrover’ / ‘Tea Clipper’ which has a more rounded, bushy growth, and has more deeply cupped blooms than ‘Ausrover’ / ‘Tea Clipper’.

The pollen parent has shorter growth than ‘Ausrover’ / ‘Tea Clipper’ with yellow cupped blooms compared to the apricot quartered, rosette-shaped blooms of ‘Ausrover’/ ‘Tea Clipper’.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR
‘Auskeppy’ / ‘Grace’ has fewer petals per bloom than ‘Ausrover’ / ‘Tea Clipper’ and the blooms are deeper apricot in color. ‘Ausrover’ / ‘Tea Clipper’ has fewer prickles than ‘Auskeppy’ / ‘Grace’ and its petals have a more rounded apex.

USDA zone 5 and warmer