Rose Wollerton Old Hall

One of the key features of rose variety ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ is its powerful, expressive and warm myrrh fragrance with intense hints of citrus. The buds have attractive flashes of red, open to beautifully rounded, chalice-shaped blooms of pale apricot, eventually paling to cream.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Throughout this description of the rose variety ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ is provided with color descriptions using terminology of the The Royal Horticultural Society (London) Colour Chart (2001), 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.

FLOWER

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 ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ rose variety are medium sized, about 2 cm long and 1.8 cm in diameter when the petals start to unfurl. The bud form is pointed short and globular. When the sepals first divide, the bud color is medium yellow orange (Group 20B). When half open, the upper sides of the petals are medium yellow orange (Group 18A) and the lower sides of the petals are medium yellow orange (Group 18A).

Calyx is star-shaped when fully opened with the sepals folding back, the length is about 4.4 cm and the diameter is 5 cm.

The sepals have a length of about 3.2 cm and a width of 1.3 cm. The shape of the sepals is deltoid with extensions, the surface texture is downy on the upper surface and smooth on the lower surface. The colour on the upper surface is light green (Group 143D) and on the lower surface is medium green (Group 143C) with some medium purple (Group 64B). There are 3 normaly appendaged sepals and there are 2 unappendaged sepals with hairy edges.

The receptacle is medium green (Group143C), pitcher shaped and has a smooth surface. The size of the receptacle is medium, about 1.3 cm long and about 1 cm in diameter.

The peduncle is short, averaging to about 5 cm in length, of a normal strength and has a glandular surface. The colour of the peduncle is medium green (Group 143C).

Bloom:

The flowers are medium to large, the average diameter of the open flower is about 9.5 cm. When first open, the flower form is cupped, the flower form persists until the end. Flowers are very double, the number of petals under normal conditions is 43. They are born mostly singly in clusters of 1 - 4 blooms having flat shape. The flowering stem has normal strength, long, and has an average length of about 50 - 80 cm.

Colour of the upper sides of the petals closer to the base are light orange pink (Group 27C) and the base of the petals has light yellow colour (Group 11B). The reverse sides of the petals are light yellow (Group 11C). On some flowers there is a slight variegation sometimes observed of lighter shading at the tip of the petals.

The general tonality at the end of the first day is light orange pink (Group 27C), at the end of the third day the general tonality does not change, remaining light orange pink (Group 27C).

Petals:

The texture and the surface of the petals is smooth; the shape of the petals is notched and obovate, the margins are notched as well. The apex is notched and the base of the petals is obtuse, and the petals form is incurved. Average length of the petals is about 6 cm and the width is about 5.5 cm. The tips of the petals are slightly recurved on outer petals, heavily quilled in the center. The arrangement of the petals is imbricated.

Normally there are few petaloids present in the center of the flowers, 8 on average, they are usually mixed with filaments. Filaments have medium yellow orange colour( Group 17A), they are about 8-10 mm long and 0.2 mm in diameter. The anthers on petaloids are dark yellow (Group 13A), about 1.5 mm long and 1 mm in diameter. The size of the petaloids is about 4 mm in width and about 10 - 50 mm in length and they usually have an obovate shape with irregular margin. The colour of the petaloids is light yellow (Group 11C) transitioning to light orange pink (Group 27C) and to white (Group 155C).

The petals of this rose variety have good self-cleaning quality, they normally drop off cleanly before drying. Under normal climate conditions the petals last fairly long, on the plant they last for about 7 days, as a cut flower their lastingness has not been tested, however in hot climates they fade rather quickly - within 2 - 3 days.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of the rose ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ is strong, powerful and warm with prominent myrrh character and intense hints of citrus

Reproductive parts:

The number of stamens is 100 on average per flower, the length is about 10 mm, they are regularly around styles mostly, but a few are tucked in the calyx.

The anthers have a length of about 2 mm and dark yellow orange colour (Group 22A).

The colour of the filaments is dark yellow orange (Group 22A), their length is 8 mm on average.

The pollen is dark yellow orange (Group 22A).

The number of pistils is 30 on average, they are about 3.5 long.

The colour of the styles is dark yellow orange (Group 22B) with some red pink (Group 47C) and are about 3 mcm long.

Stigma are about 5 mm long and are medium yellow orange (Group 22B).

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

PLANT

The rose variety ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ is classified as a Shrub rose and is a part of David Austin’s English Shrub roses subclass, but often regarded as English Climbing rose due to its powerful and vigorous growth. The large, upright and branching plant with very long and strong branches. Mature and well-established plant has a height of about 150 - 375 cm and the width of about 100 - 125 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 varies from 5 to 7. The average flowering stem has about 15 leaves. The foliage is medium sized, about 14 cm long and about 10.5 cm wide.

The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 146B) while the lower side is medium brown green (Group 146C). The mature foliage on the upper side is dark brown green (Group 147A) and on the lower side is dark brown green (Group 146B).

Leaflets:

The size of the leaflets is about 8 cm long and are about 5 cm wide. The shape of the leaflets is broadly oval, the shape of the leaflet tip is acuminate and the base shape is rounded. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and large.

The petiole has dark brown green colour (Group 146B), is about 6 cm long and 2 mm in diameter, and has a rough surface texture. The petiole rachis is dark brown green (Group 1146B) and has few prickles on the underside.

The article is lanceolate, has a length of about 0.5 cm and about 2 mm wide. The colour of the auricle is dark brown green (Group 146B).

The stipules are 2.5 cm long, have glandular surface and medium brown green colour (Group 146C).

The veins have dark brown green (Group 146B) with brown red (Group 179A), the venation pattern is reticulate.

Wood:

The new wood of this rose variety has brown red colour (Group 179A), the bark is smooth. The mature wood is dark brown green (Group 146B), the bark remains smooth. The number of lateral branches is 10 on average, they have a length of about 60 - 80 cm and the diameter is 7 mm on average.

Stems:

The mature stem has an average length of about 80 cm and the diameter of 9 mm, the internode distance is 7 cm. The stem pubescence is absent on the stems of this rose variety. The above measurements are all variable, depending on growing conditions in a season.

Prickles:

There are few prickles present on the main canes from base and on the laterals from main canes, about 6 per 30 cm of the stem length. The shape of the prickles is deep concave, the length is about 7 mm. The colour of the young prickles is brown red (Group 179A); the mature prickles have medium brown colour (Group 177C).

Small prickles:

The small prickles are not observed on the main canes of this rose variety. On the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety there are few prickles; when they are young the colour is brown red (Group 179A) and the colour of the mature small prickles is medium brown (Group 177C).

Disease resistance:

The rose variety ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ 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.

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

‘Wollerton Old Hall’ named for one of the most beautiful private gardens in Wollerton, the UK. The garden was set around a 16th-century hall, and presents a formal, contemporary garden on historic grounds. Located in northern Shropshire and spanning 4 acres, and is particularly famous for its salvias, clematis, and roses, which thrive in a well-managed yet lush environment.

Englisg Climbing roses

Nantes - 2nd International Prize of the City of Nantes, Nantes Rose Trials, 2012;

Hradec Králové First Prize, Hradec Králové Rose Trials, 2015;

Australia - Certificate of Merit, Australian National Rose Trials, 2017;

Hamilton - Best Climber, New Zealand Rose Trials, 2019;

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Ausblanket’ / ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ originated by David Austin by crossing an unnamed, unpatented seedling with an unnamed, unpatented seedling.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The primary objective of this rose variety breeding was to create a new rose variety with an intense myrrh fragrance, and having round chalice shaped blooms that are rich butter yellow in bud maturing to a pale soft creamy color.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

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

 A strongly fragrant myrrh scent;

 Buds that are round and rich butter yellow developing into a pale softer creamy color that maintains the rounded chalice shape of the early bud; and

 Particularly healthy shrub with few thorns.

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 seed and pollen parents of ‘Ausblanket’ / ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ are two unnamed seedlings. The ‘Ausblanket’ / ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ may be distinguished from its seed parent, by the following combination of characteristics:

 ‘Ausblanket’ / ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ is creamy white once fully opened while the parent is pink, and ‘Ausblanket’ / ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ variety has a rounded chalice shape while the parent has a cupped bloom.

The qualities of the pollen parent are unknown.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

The most similar rose cultivars to the ‘Ausblanket’ / ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ are the ‘Ausjo’ / ‘Jude the Obscure’ and ‘Austwist’ / ‘The Shepherdess’. ‘Ausblanket’ / ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ may be distinguished from the ‘Ausjo’ / ‘Jude the Obscure’ variety by the following combination of characteristics:

 the ‘Ausblanket’ / ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ has a bloom with hints of yellow, whereas ‘Ausjo’ / ‘Jude the Obscure’ has a bright yellow color. ‘Ausblanket’ / ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ also has a strong myrrh fragrance compared with ‘Ausjo’ / ‘Jude the Obscure’, which has a fruity fragrance,

‘Ausblanket’ / ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ may be distinguished from the ‘Austwist’ / ‘The Shepherdess’ variety by the following combination of characteristics:

  the ‘Ausblanket’ / ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ has a bloom of creamy white with hints of yellow, whereas ‘Austwist’ / ‘The Shepherdess’ has a soft apricot color and has a fruity fragrance with hints of lemon.

USDA 5