Mystery rose identified/NOT Baron von Bonstatten as we thought

10 years ago

I recently started a thread about a mystery rose that was sold to me as Rose de Rescht but when it bloomed, it wasn't that rose. A number of you offered suggestions.

PortlandMysteryRose suggested Pickering's Four Seasons and catspa thought it was Baron von Bonstatten because that rose is also grown by Russian River Roses where I purchased it.

I visited Russian River Roses today and Jan looked at my photos that I emailed her. She discussed it with one of her garden workers who collects cuttings and suckers for propagation. Turns out that at the end of the row of Rose de Rescht roses is a clump of Rosa damascena semperflorens that Jan had obtained from Heirloom. The worker must have gotten a sucker from this rose instead.

Now this was confusing to me as my recollection of the Autumn Damask was a more "untidy" pinker flower which didn't steal my heart as this rose has. Upon more investigation I found that Paul Barden had written about this very rose and helped clear up the mystery. I'm delighted to have it especially as it appears to be disease free in my garden which is saying a lot.

Here's the link to Paul's article
http://paulbardenroses.com/damasks/semperflorens.html

and below are photos of my rose which I'm reposting.

Diane

Here is a link that might be useful: Rosa damascena semperflorens at Heirloom

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Comments (6)

portlandmysteryrose
10 years ago
Diane

Score! I'm doing a happy dance for you. That's a wonderful, ancient rose. Heirloom is currently sold out, I see. Lucky you, snagging one through roundabout but successful means.

The history (known or conjectured) of very old garden roses really floats my boat. I'm especially attracted to the air of mystery surrounding this rose's ID. (I have read Paul's site, too.) How great that your new old damask is well-behaved in your climate and that it is not the other, lankier version.

Is the scent as yummy as the magenta fluff of petals? I love my Rose de Rescht, but your Autumn Damask is very seductive.

Carol
mendocino_rose
10 years ago
That's great. Baron von Bonstatten has beautiful blooms but get's terrible rust.
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Thanks, guys. The photos I posted were taken at various times of the year, during the last three years. This rose receives no water and minimal care, which complicates its ID. I don't imagine it looks the same there in the cemetery as it would if it grew here in the garden. That's why I'm trying so hard to get a cutting to root. I can't tell you about fragrance, because I am seriously fragrance-impaired. I know, I know, I grow hundreds of roses and I can't smell very many of them. I usually rely on the noses of friends to detect fragrances. Autumn Sunset sure looked like a possibility. I'll keep it on the list, just in case, but I guess I have to keep looking. Connie
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(Blush) Not "superior." Just been doing rose-ID searches longer than you have, that's all. If my knowledge really was "superior" ...I'd already know the name of your rose. ;-) I don't. But I keep trying. :) I went to your PhotoBucket webpage and looked at the newly-added photos of #14. Something about the way the bloom's inner petals look after it has opened up is making me think of Medallion. Medallion's inner petals get a sort of "jumbled" lappearance afer they unfurl. Also, Medallion's bloom-colors do what you described yours as doing ...at least in my yard they do. Medallion was introduced in 1973 ...so it passes your age-test. My (only) Medallion bush suffered severe winter-kill this year, dying almost to the graft-union ...so though it's coming back I'd have to say it is presently in poor condition. But I can tell you from directly observing it that it (1) has comparatively few thorns, (2) the leaves are medium-green, (3) the leaves are "low gloss" (but not "no-gloss"), (4) the leaves' texture is leathery. As for Medallion being in the hybrid-tea Class ...back when mine was in much better health, it sometimes bloomed in "low-numbered" clusters. But your petal-count of (only) 25 blooms keeps throwing me off from Medallion. Please check some more of your rose's blooms to see if they might have more than 25 petals. As of today, the only bloom on my Medallion has 37 petals. That bloom does show a good bit of yellow at the petals' base, even after fading. My piddly-poor Medallion bush does have one bud on it, which is just about to open up. When it pops, I'll post its petal-count ...and if the Japanese Beetles don't destroy it first, a photo. Maybe Medallion is another incorrect guess - but at this point it is the only rose I can think of that "mostly" matches up with your description of your #14-rose's characteristics. Regards, JohnReb
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AquaEyes 7a NJ
10 years ago
Does this rose rebloom for you? Heirloom describes it as once-blooming, but based on the name and Paul Barden's description I'd assume it reblooms. I was thinking of adding it to my pool of non-China Damask Perpetuals but missed out on catching it available when I placed my Heirloom order. I'll have to nab it (and Pickering Four-Seasons) next year.

I know it wasn't what you wanted, but consider yourself lucky for having gotten it.

:-)

~Christopher
User
10 years ago
That is good, Diane and I'm glad it's not the R. damascena bifera type (which I have grown -- from Vintage -- and also found lanky, mostly once-blooming, and less-than-totally-captivating in conditions here). Barden's site says this ones does rebloom and quickly -- yay!
fogrose
Original Author
10 years ago
Carol, big score indeed! Am VERY happy about this. I could just tell this rose was a treasure and have encouraged Jan to propagate more and spread the wealth.

It's a more "damasky" scent than Rose de Rescht which to me has a lemon note at the end of the sniff.

Pamela, I was going to purchase Baron dB when I was there but Jan had a warning sign about how it was prone to disease so I passed on getting it.

Christopher, waiting to see about rebloom, but either way I don't care. I's so wonderful that I'm happy to grow it. Yes, I lucked out.

catspa, am also glad it's not bifera. If it was, I wouldn't be so happy now. Bifera was in my last garden and I was less than thrilled with it.

Diane
AquaEyes 7a NJ
10 years ago
It reminds me of 'Rose du Roi -- original' in growth, with flowers like 'Pickering Four Seasons Rose'. Yes, I will need to buy that next year. Keep sharing pics, please.

:-)

~Christopher

Mystery rose identified/NOT Baron von Bonstatten as we thought

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Mystery rose identified/NOT Baron von Bonstatten as we thought

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portlandmysteryrose

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