Rose Wisley

‘Wisley’ displays well-formed very full flowers of a deep pink colour on the inside and paler pink on the outside. The fragrance is strong, with a fruity, rather citrus character and some element of the Old Rose scent. This rose variety develops a rounded, medium sized, bushy plant. It is a most beautiful rose that is worthy of the famous name it bears.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following detailed description of the rose variety ‘Wisley’ is provided 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. Phenotypic expression may vary with environmental, cultural and climatic conditions, as well as differences in conditions of light and soil.

FLOWER

This rose variety has a very good repeat flowering habit. The number of the flowers during the growing season is profuse, they are too many to count.

Flower bud:

The flower buds are medium sized, about 3 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed globular. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is red pink (Group 53C). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group 61C); and the lower sides of the petals are medium purple red (Group 60D).

The sepals are medium-sized, with length of about 2.5 cm and their width is about 0.8 cm. They are regularly arranged, the shape of the sepals is ovate, the surface texture on the upper surface is pubescent and on the lower surface is slightly rough. The upper surface of the sepals is light brown green (Group RHS 147D) and the lower surface is light green (Group RHS 144C). There are 3 normally appendaged sepals with medium sized extensions and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with canescent and glandular edges.

The receptacle's colour is with irregular patches of medium green (Group 143C) and dark brown (Group 187A), the surface is smooth. They are small and campanulate shaped, about 1 cm long and about 0.7 cm wide.

The peduncle is medium long, about 8 cm and strong. The surface is prickly, with some very small prickles, and glandular. The colour of the peduncles is dark brown purple (Group RHS 178A).

Bloom:

The flowers are large sized, the open flower has a diameter of about 9 cm. When first open the flowers have cupped shape. As the flower ages the shape persists, outer petal edges curl slightly. The flowers are very full, the number of petals under normal growing conditions is about 100-110.

They are born several together in rounded clusters of 4 to 7 blooms together. The flowering stems are moderately strong, average length is about 41 cm and the diameter is about 5 mm.

Upon opening the upper sides and the reverse sides of the petals are purple red (Group RHS 61C), the base of the petals has yellow spot (Group 4A). Under normal growing conditions the variegation is not observed on the flowers of this rose variety.

The general tonality of the flowers at the end of the first day is dark blue pink (Group RHS 64C), and at the end of the third day becomes lighter dark blue pink (Group RHS N74C).

Petals:

The petals texture is thick and leathery, the surface is smooth. The width of the petals is 2.8 cm on average and the length is about 3.8 cm. The shape of the petals is narrow elliptical, the margin is incurved with very weak undulation; the apex shape is emarginate and the base shape is cuneate. The form of the petals is incurved. The petals arrangement of the ‘Wisley’ is quartered.

The number of petaloids varies from 4 to 8 and they have purple red colour (Group 61C).

They last on a plant fairly long, for about 4-5 days, as a cut flower they last for about 3-4 days under normal growing conditions. Petals hang on and dry on the plant, therefore it is recommended to conduct timely deadheading to keep the plant tidy.

Fragrance:

The fragrance is strong, with a fruity, rather citrus fragrance and Old Rose notes.

Reproductive parts:
The stamens are about 9 mm, their colour is medium yellow orange (Group 15B) and their number is 51 on average per flower. The stamens are mixed with petaliods.

The anthers are about 2 mm long and medium yellow orange (Group 15B).

The filaments are medium yellow orange (Group 16B) the length is 7 mm.

The pollen has medium yellow orange (Group 15B).

The pistils are about 10 mm long, their number per flower is about 61.

The styles are light yellow (Group 2D) and have length of 9 mm on average.

The stigmas are green-yellow (Group 1A) and are about 1 mm long.

The hips of this variety have not been observed yet.

PLANT

The rose variety is classified as a Shrub rose from David Austin’s English Shrub Roses collection. The growth habit of this variety is rather branching and vigorous. It comes to a full maturity rather quickly - after the 3rd growing season. The mature and well-established plant has a height of about 120 cm and the width of about 100 cm.

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 5. The leaves are large to medium sized, the average length is about 13.9 cm and the width is about 9.7 cm. The average number leaves per flowering stem is 10.

The new foliage is upper side is dark brown green (Group 146A) and on the lower side is dark brown green (Group 146B). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 147A) and on the lower side is medium brown green (Group 147B).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is about 5.5 cm long and 3.4 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is ovate with obtuse base and acuminate apex. The texture surface on the upper side is leathery, the edges are serrated, the type of serration is double and small.

The petiole has light green colour (Group 144C). The petiole rachis has also light green (Group 144C), the underside is with prickles.

The auricle shape is subulate. The stipules are about 2.7 cm long and are serrated.

The vein color is light yellow green (Group 154D) and the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood has dark brown colour (Group 166A), the bark is smooth. The old wood is dark brown green (Group 146A) and the bark is also smooth.

Stems:

The mature stems have an average length of about 40 cm and the diameter is about 7 mm. The internode distance is 5 cm. The above measurements are all variable, and depend on growing conditions in a season.

Prickles:

There are ordinary quantities of prickles on the main canes from base, about 7 per 30 cm per stem length/ On the laterals from main canes there is also an ordinary quantity of prickles, about 31 per 30 cm per stem length. The shape of the prickles is hooked downward, the length is about 5 - 9 mm. The colour when young is dark purple red (Group RHS 187B), when mature the colour of the prickles is grey brown (Group RHS 199C).

Small prickles:

There are usually no small prickles present on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

The rose variety ‘Wisley’ is resistant to downy and powdery mildews, blackspot and rust under normal growing conditions. Pest resistance has not been tested.

The cold hardiness is good, recommended for growing in climates similar to USDA 5 and warmer.

Named after the Royal Horticultural Society’s foremost garden in Surrey. THis rose variety is one of 4 four roses varieties by David Austin that commemorate the foundation of the society formed for the improvement and practice of horticulture in 1804 by John Wedgwood, Sir Joseph Paxton, William Forsyth and three others.

English Shrub Roses

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The rose variety ‘Ausintense’ / ‘Wisley’ was bred by David Austin and originated from the cross-pollination of the an unnamed, unpatented seedling with the variety ‘Ausgold’ / ‘Golden Celebration’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose breeding was to produce a very free-flowering, healthy rose plant with dark pink blooms on a bushy, branching shrub.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

Among the features which distinguish this variety from others is the following combination of characteristics:

 Large cupped, deep pink flowers;

 Fruity fragrance with Old Rose notes;

 Shiny foliage and arching growth.

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

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

‘Ausintense’ / ‘Wisley’ has dark pink blooms on a taller shrub as compared with the apricot blooms of the unnamed seedling parent.

‘Ausintense’ / ‘Wisley’ has a fruit and Old Rose fragrance as compared to ‘Ausgold’ / ‘Golden Celebration’ which has golden yellow blooms with a tea fragrance.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

‘Ausintense’ / ‘Wisley’ has rich, shiny green foliage and dark pink, large-cupped blooms as compared to ‘Ausguard’ / ‘Portmeirion’ which has paler foliage and shallow-cupped, paler blooms.

USDA 5