Rose The Prince

A rose with exceptional color, starting as the deepest and richest crimson before transforming into a magnificent, royal purple. According to Graham Thomas such unique shade was the first of its kind since 1840, resembling the hues found in old Gallica roses rather than the typical metallic lilac colour that is present in modern varieties. The rose emits a strong Old Rose fragrance, and its flowers are true rosettes with a slightly domed finish.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of rose variety ‘The Prince’ with color descriptions using terminology in accordance with the Methuen Handbook of Color, except where ordinary dictionary significance of color is indicated.

FLOWER
‘The Prince’ has a repeat flowering habit. It flowers in flushes, from early summer until frosts.

Flower bud:
The flower buds are medium sized, about 3.8 cm (1 ½") when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is long, globular, with cuspidate apex. When the sepals first divide, the bud colour is close to deep magenta (Group 12E8) but more red. When half blown, the upper and lower sides of the outer petals have deep magenta to grayish magenta colour (Group 12F/D8) from the top transitioning to cerise (Group 12C8) to grayish ruby (Group 12C7) at center of petal.

The sepals on the most of the surface is grayish green (group 29D/E7) with raspberry red blush (Group 10D7) on midline and margin. The surface texture is leathery and spotty. There are 3 heavily appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is parrot green (Group 30E8) with red (Group 10D7) spots. It is cup shaped, the size is small, about 0.6 cm by 1 cm (1/4" by 3/8"), and the surface is spotty.

The peduncle is medium long and bending, has glandular surface and medium green colour (Group 30D8) with maroon (Group 11F8) blushing.

Bloom:

The blooms are medium-sized, the average open diameter of the flower is 7 cm (2 3/4"). They are born mostly singly, or rarely several together, in clusters of up to 12 flowers. If they appear in clusters, the shape of clusters is irregular. When first open, the shape is cupped and flat. As the flowers open fully the shape flattens and reveals a perfect rosette, the outer petals curl back. The flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 125 on average.

The colour on the upper side of the petals is dark purple (Group 13F7) fading to grayish magenta (Group 12E7) at top of petal and to darker shade of grayish magenta (Group 13C7-13C6) at center of the petal. The reverse side of the petals is the same. The base of petals has a pastel yellow (Group 2D4) tip. The major color on the upper side is grayish magenta / royal purple (Group 13C6). Under normal growing conditions no variegations are observed on the flowers of “The Prince”.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is slight graying. At the end of the third day the colour of the majority of the petals is dark magenta / royal purple (Group 13F8) fading to lighter deep magenta (Group 13E8) at top and to grayish magenta (Group 13C7) at the petal center.

Petals:

The texture of the petals on this variety is thin and silky. The shape of the petals is rounded, with round and deltoid apex. The petal form is cupped, inner petals caught into space between perigynous zone and styles to form a button. The petals arrangement is imbricated, with many petaloids in the center.

The petals usually dry and hang on on the plant, therefore the timely deadheading is required for this variety. The petals last on a plant for about 7 - 10 days under normal growing conditions and about 5-7 days as a cut flower.

Fragrance:

There is, as one would expect of such a rose, a powerful and rich “Old Rose” fragrance.

Reproductive parts:

Anthers are medium sized and many, they are tucked in calyx or partly so, mixed with petaloids. The colour of the anthers varies from light yellow to dark orange (Group 3-4A8) tinged with cerise (Group 12C8).

The filaments have from white to pale green colour (Group 30A3) with some cerise tinge (Group 12C8).

The pollen has a golden yellow colour.

The styles are pale green (Group 30A3).

And the stigmas are yellow (Group 3A5), with some cerise streaks (Group 12C8).

PLANT

The variety is classified as a Shrub rose of a Rosa hybrida class from David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The variety has moderately vigorous and branching growth character, but it does not have the same vigorous growth as most of the other English roses. Forms rather broad, medium sized, upright, bushy and compact plant. The mature and well established plant reaches the height of about 75 cm and the width of about 90 cm.

It does need 3 - years to settle in the garden, but once it does it will produce in abundance those wonderful flowers of royal purple colour which possess the noticeably atavistic charm of the long-lost old Bourbon and Gallica roses. Due to its compact growth it is perfect for rose borders, mixed borders and pathways. Due to its colour in hot climates it will do much better in partial shade.

Foliage:
There is a normal quantity of foliage on the plant of the rose variety “The Prince”. The number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves is 5 The general appearance of the foliage is modern, and semi-glossy. The new foliage is dark green (Group 30F7) strongly infused with violet brown blush (Group 10F6). The mature foliage is dark green (Group 28F8) with grayish purple undertones.

Leaflets:
The leaflets are large to medium sized, about 5 cm (2") long and about 3.2 cm (11/4") wide. The shape of the leaflets is elliptic with cuspidate apex and pointed base. The upper side is leathery, the edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and small.

Petiole rachis is dark green with purple brown shading, there are some occasional prickles on the petiole underside. THe stipules are medium sized and serrated.

Wood:
The new wood is dark green (Group 29E/F7) with burgundy (Group 12 F5) pigmentation raised in pustules, the bark is smooth. The mature wood is brown green (Group 12F7) infused with dark ruby colour, the bark is rough.

Stems:
The flowering stems are medium sized, the average length is about 61-76 cm (24-30").

Prickles:
There is many prickles on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes of this variety. The form of the prickles is straight, slightly hooked downward. The colour of the prickles is ruby red.

Small prickles:

There are many small prickles on the stems of ‘The Prince’ Quantity. They have brown colour.

Disease resistance:
The rose variety “The Prince” is resistant to botrytis, rust and black spot under normal growing conditions. In colder and damp climates it is somewhat prone to mildew. Pest resistance has not been tested yet.

The winter hardiness is good, it is suitable for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 5 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named for its majestic royal purple colour. For the past 150 years, the roses of this colour often got names, that also included the word ‘prince’, and the colour is often regarded as royal purple.

The origin of such colour reference is thought to be related to Prince Edward, the Balck Prince of England, who defeated the French at Poitiers in 1356, thus securing a rich wine-growing district for the English crown.

English Shrub Roses

Modern Shrub Rose, Augusta Rose Society Show, 1999;

Modern Shrub Rose, Watauga Valley Rose Society Show, 1999;

Modern Shrub Rose, Greater Rochester Rose Society Show, 2000;

Modern Shrub Rose, Pacific Southwest District Show, 2000;

Modern Shrub Rose, San Antonio Rose Society Show, 2000;

Shrub (ARS), Tampa Rose Society Show, 2000;

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The rose variety ‘Ausvelvet’ / ‘The Prince’ of the Shrub class originated by David Austin by two following rose parents:

 The seed parent for this rose is English shrub rose ‘Ausli’ / ‘Lilian Austin’ by David Austin, 1973;

 The pollen parent is English shrub rose ‘Aussquire’ / ‘The Squire’ by David Austin, 1977.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY
The primary objective of this rose breeding was to produce a new rose variety having red, scented flowers on a bushy plant and which repeats flowers. The objective was substantially achieved along with other desirable improvements as this rose has following unique combination of characteristics:

 1. Bushy growth;

 2. Cupped rosette flowers;

 3. Floriferousness; and

 4. Highly scented flower.

Asexual reproduction of this variety by budding, as performed at Albrighton, Wolverhampton, The UK, showed that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions came true to form and established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS
‘Ausvelvet’ / ‘The Prince’ can be easily distinguished from both of its parents:

 The seed parent ‘Ausli’ / ‘Lilian Austin’ is characterized by tall upright growth habit and cupped shaped less full flowers of glowing pink to salmon colour with yellow and orange tones, while ‘Ausvelvet’ / ‘The Prince’ has much smaller plant and rich very full rosette shaped flowers of a deep magenta purple colour.

 The pollen parent ‘Aussquire’ / ‘The Squire’ has a large and upright pland and distinctive crimson red flowers while ‘Ausvelvet’ / ‘The Prince’ has much smaller plant and cupped rosette deep magenta purple flowers.

USDA 5