No. The leaves look totally wrong. Golden Wings has fairly typical hybrid tea foliage. That looks more like something multiflora-ey.

It looks more like Mermaid to me. The center on Golden Wings is an amber color not yellow and Mad is right, the leaves are larger and more round in shape.

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Looking at the tiny foliage, I would think it is likely 'Little Mermaid' the dwarf sport of 'Mermaid'.

Mad, Seil, Trospero, thanks for your help. I appreciate it.

If this was planted at the intersection of the path down the hill to the Australian Garden, across the large concrete path along the lower edge of the rose garden, it should be Happenstance, which is also a sport of Mermaid. Happenstance is the dwarf sport where the flowers and foliage are larger but the length of the inter nodal canes are very short and stumpy. Little Mermaid is the midget sport. The inter nodal canes are longer, more in proportion to the size of the flowers and foliage. I know Happenstance has grown in the location I described for decades. I'm not sure Little Mermaid has been grown in that garden. It wasn't on the 2004 audit the volunteers took, but who knows what might have been done since? Kim

oooh, I always thought that 'Baby Mermaid' and 'Happenstance' were the same rose. We only ever come across the latter in the UK. I have often dithered about buying one but after doing battle with the Macartney rose, (pretty much the only hybrid bracteata along with Mermaid available in the UK) the combination of grovelling around on the floor with the vicious brutal daggers of the type puts me off - a pity as I love the blooms and they would be a neat follow-on from the early spring yellows such as primula and cantab.

Kim and Camp, thanks for responding.

No, not near the entrance to the Australian garden. Rather, it is at the end of the long pergola, (not on the pergola itself) mounding by the sidewalk near the "Tea Room" entrance, across from that bed of 'Sunsprite' (or is it 'Sun Flare'?) I've never seen it in bloom before; at other times of the year it is all foliage and no flowers. The flowers were small, perhaps 2.25-2.5" but not tiny (1"). I've seen 'Mermaid', and the flowers were larger. I was going to sniff for a fragrance, but there seemed to be at least one bee, if not several, in each flower. I looked around the base quite a while for a tag, and there wasn't one. Must complain to Tom Carruth! ;^)

The other thing I noticed new was the appearance of a few odd HTs in the big Austin beds. For example 'Rock And Roll' had been stuck in an empty spot next to 'The Nun', I think it was. Someone with a sense of humor?

Hmmmm, the leaves look a bit like Bloomfield Dainty although the coronet of stamens looks a bit more pronounced than on BD (I am usually rubbish on ID's but still find myself looking, just to see). Petals don't look quite right either - in fact, cannot think why this rose keeps popping into my head. Just a thought.....

You're welcome Hoovb. No, please don't complain to Tom! He doesn't deserve it. He is WELL aware of the conditions of things and is working feverishly to identify unidentified as well as misidentified things right and left. He emails a handful of us who are familiar with what was there for help when he stumbles on things which don't add up.

I don't know exactly what the problems were toward the end of Clair's run there, but there are MANY "oddities" where it appears any old thing was shoved in to fill holes. Many tags were missing and many were haphazardly stuck to plants whether they were correct or not. Before Tom does anything, he wants to determine precisely what is what and where everything is. Based upon what WAS there, it's a great method and I'm proud of him for proceeding that way. Kim

I believe Kim is correct in his assessment: 'Happenstance' is the more likely candidate.

No, no, no complaints to TC (unless the Tea/China bed doesn't eventually improve...) I'm sure he will do a superb job.

Thanks for the help on the ID, all. I appreciate it very much.

You're welcome! Just give him some time. I am positive he will do everything he is PERMITTED to do to improve things! Kim

Hi hoovb,

I took some photos of the rose beds in January of this year during Great Rosarians. I'm posting some below. Does this rose appear in any of these shots?

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A bed of Sun Flare just in front of the Tea Room, on the east side, with just a bit of the base of the pergola on that side showing.

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This photo is taken a little to the right (east) of the last one. On the left is Sun Flare, in the upper left is the east edge of the Tea Room. On the right is Perpetual White Moss, and behind this rose is the pergola on the east side of the Tea Room.

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Rose bed in front of the Tea Room

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Continuation of rose bed with Sun Flare in front of the Tea Room. Shot looking west, towards one of the pergolas.

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The Tea Room, as viewed from underneath 4 huge Mermaids.

Thanks Tessie, there it is, though as I remember, it is larger now than in your photo.

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