Rose Winchester Cathedral

Pure white classic with timeless charm. ‘Winchester Cathedral’ is a sport of the renowned ‘Mary Rose’, sharing all of its parent’s beloved qualities but dressed in elegant white. The blooms are classically shaped, forming medium-large rosettes with scalloped petals arranged in a relaxed, slightly informal style. The color is a clear white that sometimes carries a hint of buff or pale yellow at the center in warm weather. Intriguingly, the rose occasionally reveals subtle pink tones, or even partial pink flowers, a gentle reminder of its pink-flowered parent. While this color reversion may be unpredictable, many gardeners find this quality to be very charming. The fragrance is strong and classic, of an Old Rose character with notes of honey.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety 'Winchester Cathedral' is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the "Methuen Handbook of Colour" published by Eyre Methuen Ltd. (1963), 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 abundant and continual flowering. 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 'Winchester Cathedral' rose variety are medium sized, about 2.5 - 3.0 cm long and 1.0 - 1.2 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is round, with a cuspidate tip. When half open, the petals are pale orange (Group 5A3) and light orange (Group 5A4) with geranium red (Group 11B7) blush. Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back.

The sepals have a length of about 1.7 - 2.5 cm and a width of 1 cm. The shape of the sepals is lanceolate. The upper surface of the sepals is greyish green (Group 29D7) with brownish red (Group 10C6) blush and has occasional ensiform appendages while the underside surface is smooth and has greyish green / spring green (Group 30C7) colour. The outer margins of the sepals have sparse red glandular hairs on the margins and the inner margins are edged with fine white downy hairs.

The receptacle is deep green (Group 30D8) and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, it is about 1.0-1.2 cm long and about 0.8 - 0.9 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is medium, averaging to about 3.0 - 4.5 cm in length, of a normal strength and has medium dense red glandular hairs on the surface. The colour of the peduncle is medium green.

Bloom:

The flowers are medium-sized, the average diameter of the open flower is about 6.5 cm. When first open, the flower form is a flattened cup. As the flower fully opens it transforms into a flatter rosette, outer petals recurved towards stem on the blooms as they age. Flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal conditions is 80 - 85 on average. They are born in small clusters, of 1 - 15 blooms together.

When first open the colour of the upper sides of the petals is pale yellow (Group 3A3) and the reverse sides of the petals are pale yellow (Group 4A3).

When fully open the color of the flowers on the upper sides of the petals is yellowish white (Group 4A2) but lighter, and the reverse sides of the petals is yellowish white (Group 4A2) but deeper.

When finishing blooming the flowers the colour on the upper side and the reverse of the petals is white (Group 4A1) with base having a pale yellow (Group 3A3) / pastel yellow (Group 3A4) colour.

On the flowers of rose variety often observed different portions of the variegation, sometimes few petals may have just a touch of pink to sometimes the colour of the flowers becomes purely pink.

Petals:

The texture of the petals is fairly solid and the surface is smooth. The outer petals have a width of about 2.5 - 4.0 cm and length of about 3.0 - 3.5 cm; they are heart shaped, apex and bilobed, margin slightly irregular, narrowing to truncate base. The petals in the middle have a width of about 2.5 - 4.0 cm and the length of about 3.0 - 3.5 cm, their shape is roughly ovoid, apex wide and flattish irregular or bilobed, narrowing to v-shaped or truncate base. The inner petals are fairly irregular, have round ovoid shape, the apex is rounded or irregularly lobed with some narrowing to a v-shaped true petal shape and others growing from the filaments and are not true petal shape, that is, staminate with width of about 1.0 - 1.5 cm and with length of about 1.5 - 2.0 cm.

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, they normally fall reasonably easily to leave a tidy looking rose but not quite as quickly as desired. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly long, on the plant they last for about 10 days, as a cut flower their lastingness is about 6 - 9 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose 'Winchester Cathedral' is very strong, sweet, of an Old Rose character with notes of honey.

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens varies from 52 to 60, but on average is 55.

The anthers are reddish yellow / orange yellow colour (Group 4A7).

The colour of the filaments is pastel yellow (Group 2A4), their length is 4.5 mm.

The number of pistils varies from 46 to 53, but on average is about 50.

The colour of the styles is yellowish green / sap green (Group 30B7) and are about 5.9 mm long.

Stigma are greenish white (Group 30A2) with yellowish white (Group 1A2).

The hips of this rose variety have not been observed.

PLANT

The rose variety 'Winchester Cathedral' is classified as a Shrub rose and is part of David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth character is powerful and vigorous. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 125 – 150 cm and the width of about 110 - 125 cm.

The shrub has a neat, rounded habit with strong, bushy growth. In time, it forms a dense, well-shaped plant ideal for use in borders or mixed plantings. Its healthy foliage emerges with bronze-tinged new growth and matures to a rich, dark green, contrasting beautifully with the luminous white blooms. Whether standing alone or grouped to dramatic effect, 'Winchester Cathedral' offers a clean, serene presence in the garden. It’s especially picturesque when planted alongside deeper pinks or purples, where its brightness provides balance and contrast.

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 varies from 3 to 7, but mainly is 5, including the terminal leaflet. The foliage is medium sized.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 29F7) with violet brown (Group 11E6) blush while the lower side is greyish green (Group 29D7). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark green (Group 27F7) and on the lower side is greyish green / spinach green (Group 29E6).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is medium, they are about 8-11 cm long. The shape of the leaflets is ovoid, the shape of the leaflet tip is cuspidate and the base shape is rounded. The surface texture of the leaflets is tough and leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is dentate and small.

The petiole on the upper surface has dark green (Group 29F7) with violet brown (Group 11E6) blush, and red glandular hairs, no thorns; the underside is greyish green (Group 29D7) and covered with sparse red glandular hairs.

The stipules are 1.8 - 2.2 cm long and are about 5 - 8 mm wide. The angle of wingtips to petiole is variable, but most often less than 45°degree. The colour of the stipules is medium green, margins are edged with red glandular hairs along the central line (petiole) with distinct violet brown colour (Group 11E6) blush.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has greyish green colour (Group 29D7), the bark is with red glandular hairs. The mature wood is deep green (Group 29E8), the bark is majorly rough.

Stems:

The stem pubescence is not observed on the stems of this rose variety.

Prickles:

There are many prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes, about 5 - 12 per internode. The shape of the prickles is straight, the length variable, about 1 - 6 mm. The colour of the young prickles is mahogany brown/ reddish brown (Group 8E7); the mature prickles have a more grayish colour.

Small prickles:

There are many small prickles on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety, about 10-20 per internode. They are mainly the same as the larger prickles in color, but lighter.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety 'Winchester Cathedral' 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.

Like many white roses, 'Winchester Cathedral' may suffer from spotting or mildew in damp climates, so good air circulation and preventive care are advised for such climates. However, in dry, warm conditions it flourishes beautifully, blooming reliably and abundantly.

Rose variety is recommended for growing in climate conditions similar to USDA 5 and requires winter protection in more colder climates.

Named after one of the finest cathedrals in Britain.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Auscat’ / 'Winchester Cathedral' originated by David Austin as a sport of English shrub rose 'Mary Rose' / ‘Ausmary’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to preserve a white sport of the rose variety 'Mary Rose' / ‘Ausmary’.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 very full white flowers;

 abundant and continual blooming;

 strong and sweet fragrance

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 4 and warmer