Rose Tradescant

Rose 'Tradescant' features beautifully rosette-shaped blooms in rich wine-crimson that deepen to a velvety purple and eventually almost black, edged with wine-red tips. Its quartered, very full flowers appear on a large, slightly arching shrub, producing clusters of 10–15 buds that open into velvety, textured blooms with quill-shaped petals and hints of golden stamens. Known for its strong Old Rose fragrance with Damask-like sharpness, it is a repeat-flowering variety reminiscent of the old Gallica rose ‘Tuscany’, with the added benefit of continuous blooming. Healthy foliage is dark hunter green with a red outline on new growth, while its well-armed canes with emerald thorns.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Tradescant' 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 'Tradescant' rose variety are medium sized, about 2 cm long and 2 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 dark purple red (Group 59A). When half open, the upper sides of the petals varies from dark purple red (Group 59A or 60A) and the lower sides of the petals are dark purple red (Group 60A).

The sepals have a length of about 2.2 cm and a width of 0.7 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate, the surface texture is glabrous, or with occasional fine, white downy hairs. The colour on the upper surface is medium green (Group 144A) and on the lower surface is light green (Group 144B). There are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group 144A) to light green (Group 144B) with brown red (Group 181B) blush, goblet shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 0.8 cm long and about 0.9 cdiameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 3.8 cm in length, stiff, erect and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is bronzy.

Bloom:

The flowers are medium, the average diameter of the open flower is about 6.5 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped rosette. As it develops the form flattens to form quartered rosette with outer petals curl back. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 120. They are born in small clusters of 3 to 18 blooms having irregular shape. The flowering stem has normal strength, long, and has an average length of about 65 to 80 cm.

The colour of the upper sides of the petals is dark purple red (Group 59B) and the reverse sides of the petals is dark purple red (Group 60B). and the base of the petals has medium yellow (Group). The tip of the base of each petal varies from medium yellow (Group 9A or 9B/C) or is light yellow (Group 9D). Under normal growing conditions no variegation is observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is dark purple (Group 61A), at the end of the third day the general tonality becomes more purple-gray to dark brown (Group 187A).

Petals:

The texture of the petals is thick and the surface is smooth; the shape of the outer petals is heart-shaped or deltoid with apex notched and edges quilled; the inner petals are more ovoid, their apex is pointed and they are generally folded lengthwise with the quilled margins. The arrangement of the petals is quartered in the center, they are regularly arranged, shingle-like, inner petals tucked into calyx, with few petaloids in the center.

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

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Tradescant' is moderate to strong Damask fragrance, very sweet and possesses refreshing sharpness.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is few, the length is short to medium, they are partly tucked into calyx and mixed with petaloids.

The anthers have reddish yellow colour.

The colour of the filaments is medium purple (Group 67A).

The pollen is gold yellow.

The colour of the styles is greenish white with medium purple stripe (Group 67A).

Stigmas are greenish white.

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

PLANT

The rose variety 'Tradescant' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is powerful and vigorous. Forms upright, spreading and bushy plants. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 120 - 190 cm and the width of about 100 - 190 cm as well.

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 is 5 including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized, about 16 cm long and about 12 to 13 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper and on the the lower side is dark brown green (Group 146A) with dark purple red (Group 59A) blush on margins. The old foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 146A) and on the lower side is dark brown green (Group 147A).

Leaflets:

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

The petiole has reddish colour, has up to 2 prickles per internode on the surface. The petiole rachis is also reddish. The stipules are 2.0 to 2.5 cm long, have finely serrated, glandular edges. The venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has reddish colour and smooth bark. The mature wood is gGreen, the bark remains smooth.

Prickles:

There are ordinary to many prickles present on the main canes from base. On the laterals from main canes there is an ordinary quantity of prickles. The shape of the prickles is straight or slightly hooked downward, the length is medium, they are rather randomly distributed on stems. The colour of the young prickles is reddish with transparent tips; the mature prickles grayish brown colour.

Small prickles:

There are few small prickles on the main canes of this rose while on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety there are no small prickles. Small pickles have brown colour.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Tradescant' 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.

While somewhat weak in temperate climates like the UK, it thrives in Mediterranean regions as a large shrub or short climber. Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 5 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

This rose is named in honor of the Tradescant trust, which is building the Museum of Garden History on the site of historic church of St. Mary-at-Lambeth, London. The Tradescants - John the Elder (circa 1570 - 1638) and John the Younger (1608 - 1662) were gardeners and naturalists in Jacobean England.

English Shrub Roses

Modern Shrub Rose, Cleveland & Northeastern Ohio Rose Society Show, 1999;

Modern Shrub Rose, Grand Valley Rose Society (Michigan) Show, 1999;

Modern Shrub Rose, Sacramento Rose Society Show, 2000;

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY
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Rose variety ‘Ausdir’ / 'Tradescant' originated by David Austin by crossing rose variety Auspero / Prospero with an unnamed, unpatented seedling.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety that repeats flowering very well and has red, old-fashioned-type 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:

 Deep red to red-purple flowers;

 Spreading growth habit;

 Old-fashioned shape of flower;

 Repeat-flowering.

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.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

The ‘Ausdir’ / ‘Tradescant’ may be distinguished from its seed parent Auspero / Prospero, by the following combination of characteristics:

 The flowers of Auspero / Prospero have more purple undertones flowers with fewer petals comparing and stronger fragrance comparing to ‘Ausdir’ / ‘Tradescant’ the flowers of which are fuller, more red and have medium fragrance.

 Additionally Auspero / Prospero forms smaller and compact plants with more prickles comparing to large and spreading plants of ‘Ausdir’ / ‘Tradescant’ and has fewer prickles.

The characteristics of the pollen parent have not been disclosed.

USDA 5