Has anyone grown Brown Velvet?

davidchance

12 years ago

The colour has me very intrigued. Has it done well for anyone else here? What roses are similar in colour?

Thanks for reading.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brown Velvet

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roseseek

12 years ago

Yes Susan, that's what BV will look like in cooler weather. It will vary tremendously, just as Honey Dijon and Cinco will. In high heat, HD is rather pink and faded looking. Cinco is very pretty first open, but wait until you see it on a hot day, several days after opening. Rather odd looking and I LOVE Tom Carruth roses.

Today, we're very lucky to have the "improved" versions of some of these. Odd colors are primarily (and have been) selected for the novel flower color. None of these shades would be successful in Nature as none of them would attract pollinators. My feeling has always been Nature doesn't waste good genes on things which wouldn't succeed by themselves, so there is always something to put up with when selecting a novelty. If you really look at it, the most vigorous, healthy, productive roses are nearly always pink. Most species ARE pink, or some shade thereof. Move too far away from those shades and plant quality really begins to suffer.

So, though I LOVE the odd shades (always have, can you tell?), I'm not growing many in my new climate as they tend to have more foliage issues and I can't/won't spray. Try to stick with the newer ones and you'll very likely have fewer problems. There really HAS been improvement. Each decade, the bar is raised for health, vigor, bloom production, etc. They may be small steps, but generally, things HAVE improved with time. Kim

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Comments (9)

roseseek
12 years ago
I imported Brown Velvet from the Harkness Nurseries in Britain in the mid eighties and grew it until about four years ago. If black spot is an issue where you are, you may need to protect it from the fungal problem. It grows like a hybrid perpetual, long canes which will throw flowering laterals along the bent canes. It will withstand harder pruning and still flower. The new growth was quite cranberry colored, ageing to a dark, glossy green. In higher heat, it's a bright, deep orange, but when there are cooler temperatures, a purple haze develops over the petals, which is how many of the "russet" roses form their brownish colors. At that stage, I described it in my article "Coffee Roses" as "chocolate velvet swirling around a glowing ember". In my old mid desert garden, it was quite healthy. Heat with humidity has shown black spot issues sometimes. You'll find it roots like a weed and grows very well own root. There is no need to bud this one. Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Coffee Roses
TNY78
12 years ago
I have Brown Velvet, and like the poster before me, I have to spray mine for black spot. It tends to defoliate the lower leaves on mine. Also, I purchased mine from either Heirloom or Rogue Valley (can't remember), I was expecting larger blooms and a more brown color, as the name implies. Mine grows a bright orange similar to another rose of mine named Easy Does It. Two roses of mine that are more coffee colored are Honey Dijon, a yellowish-tan (Weeks), and Memphis Cajun, mauve-tan (Wells). Here's a pic taken in the past couple of weeks of my brown velvet...pretty but not brown :)

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:292731}}
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diane_nj 6b/7a
12 years ago
Roses with similar coloring are Hot Cocoa and Cinco de Mayo. We grow Hot Cocoa in a no-spray garden, it defoliates around 25% by the end of the summer, but is still bushy. Cinco de Mayo is said to have good resistance.
davidchance
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for all the great info folks.

That's a great article Kim and give lots of additional roses for me to give a look at. Very interesting the timeline you give for the various "off-colour" roses.

If the colour is accurate on my screen TNY your rose looks nothing at all like the Rogues photo of Brown Velvet. I will look into the 2 roses you suggested as well. Any chance you have photos of your Honey Dijon and Memphis Cajun. You are in s similar zone as I am so the colour will probably be closer to what I will get the from photos at the rose sellers sites.

Thanks again Diane. You have been very helpful to me in past threads and always look forward to your thoughts and comments. I will look into the 2 you suggested as well.
landperson
12 years ago
I put Brown Velvet, Cinco de Mayo and Hot Cocoa all in as bands this year. Cinco de Mayo is definitely the star in terms of growth and flower production in the first year !!!
She's blooming her head off and getting attention. Hot Cocoa hasn't bloomed yet, but her growth is good and healthy and shiny. Brown Velvet is tiny but bloomed once and has some healthy growth coming along. They are all in different parts of the yard and get somewhat different treatment as a result, and are way too young for me to make any valid judgement calls, except to say that Cinco de Mayo's performance has been stellar to date.

Susan
landperson
12 years ago
I just noticed that there is a new photo of Brown Velvet that was just uploaded yesterday on HelpMeFind. It looks the way I expect BV should look....the way I'm hoping mine will look when it "grows up".

Here is a link that might be useful: Brown Brown Velvet
diane_nj 6b/7a
12 years ago
You're welcome David! I have Honey Dijon, but I was out of town during the heat wave last week, and everything was almost past peak when I returned. I'll post photos when I can.

Take a look at Tawny Tiger too, it is a single form, but interesting russet with lighter stripes.
TNY78
12 years ago
Here is a pic taken today of Honey Dijon & Memphis Cajun...
Memphis Cajun really needs to be moved to a shadier spot to bring out the tan tones...

Honey Dijon:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/tny78/HoneyDijon2.jpg

Memphis Cajun:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/tny78/memphiscajan2.jpg

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:292732}}

Has anyone grown Brown Velvet?

roseseek

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Has anyone grown Brown Velvet?

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