Rose Velvet Fragrance

The name of this rose truly describes its nature. Large dark purple crimson buds slowly open to a classically shaped high-centered dark crimson flowers with velvety and nearly black markings on the tips of the petals. There is also very powerful sweet fragrance, a reminiscent of the Damask roses. The beaty of the flowers is powered by coppery-green foliage.

FLOWER
The variety has continuous blooming habit, flowers with flushes from early summer until frosts.

Flower bud:
Flower buds are large, the bud form is long, pointed ovoid. When the sepals first divide, the bud colour is dark purple red. As the bud continues to open, the upper sides of the petals are dark purple red while the lower sides of the petals are of much darker purple red shades.

The surface of the sepals is covered in fine hairs, and has medium brown green colour. There are 3 normally to heavily appendaged sepals and 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

Bloom:
The flowers are large, the average open diameter is about 12-14 cm (4 inches). The flowers are mostly borne singly, or more rarely in small clusters of 3- 5 flowers per flowering stem. The flowering stems are strong, long, and are excellent for cutting. Sometimes these come on exceptionally vigorous new growth, along which many long-stemmed flowers are borne individually at the ends of the lateral growth. When the flower first opens it has high centered form, and it retains its form to the end.

The colour of the upper sides of the petals is dark crimson red and the reverse sides of the petals are dark crimson red with mush darker shades of the dark crimson red or dark purple red on the edges of the outer petals. The major color on the upper side is dark crimson red with some purple shades on the middle part of the petals. There is some white green variegations observed on the very outer petals on some flowers.

Normally the colour of the flowers persists almost to the end. Closer to the fading the flower become lighter, crimson red. The general tonality at the end of the first day as well as at the end of the third day is not changing. There is some discolorations noticed at the end of the fifth day.

Petals drop of cleanly before drying.

Fragrance:
The variety ‘Velvet Fragrance’ has powerful, sweet fragrance, a reminiscent of the Damask roses.

PLANT
The variety has vigorous and strong growth habit. Forms upright, bushy, slightly outwardly plant. The mature and well-established plant has a height of about 80 to 150 cm and the width of about 50 – 90 cm.

Foliage:
The quantity of foliage is normal, number of leaflets on a normal mid-stem leaf is 5. The leaves are large, new foliage on the upper and lower sides medium red brown, while the old foliage is bronze green on the upper side and medium brown green on the lower side. The leaflets have pointed oval shape, the texture on the upper side is leathery and semi-glossy. Their edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and large.

Prickles:
The quantity of prickles on main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes are many, about 13 – 15 prickles per internode. The form of the prickles is pyramidal, they are large, and have purple red colour when young.

Disease resistance:
The variety has moderate resistance to black spot and mildew, the resistance to botrytis and rust. Pest resistance not tested. The variety also has moderate heat tolerance, but very resistant to rain.

Unfortunately we do not have information about the origin of the name of this rose.

Baden-Baden Fragrance Award, Baden-Baden Rose Trials, 1989

RNRS Edland Fragrance Medal, Royal National Rose Society (RNRS) Show or Trials, 1987

RNRS Trial Ground Certificate, Royal National Rose Society (RNRS) Show or Trials, 1987

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY
According to ‘The American Rose Society encyclopedia of roses’ the rose variety ‘Fryperdee’ / ‘Velvet Fragrance’ was a cross between ‘Mildred Scheel’ / ‘Deep Secret’, a hybrid tea from Tantau Roses, 1976 and ‘Duftwolke’ / ‘Fragrant Cloud’ a hybrid tea from Tantau Roses, 1963.

USDA zone 6 and warmer