Kathy, yes, it can be QUITE variable due to heat, intensity of light, alkalinity/acidity, probably much like a Ficus Benjamina...if it doesn't like the color of your blouse, it will change. Here in the SoCal mid desert, the purple colors depended upon perfect temperatures and MUCH amending of the soil to acidify conditions from our highly alkaline ones. Having it throw pink (or even white) flowers isn't odd for this rose. Check your acidity and increase it if it's more toward the alkaline range. You'll have MUCH better purple tones from it if you do, and the temps go back down into her comfort range. Kim

Hi Kim - Actually, the rosebed gets fertilized and tends to get a bit acid, so I add lime to get pH to about 6.5 (usually in spring, but this once in early summer). I place the pH meter at about 4 sports around each bush and some are 6.0 to 6.5, but one area was 5.5. Another spot by the garage was 5.0. So I added lime. Plus I added a little bit of gypsum and epsom salts - which have sulfur, the opposite of lime, but roses need a little sulfur to grow. I added 1.5 cups of Osmocote (time-released) and 2 cups of Mills Magic Mix.

Thanks for saying that color variation happens with this rose. Kathy

Hi Kathy, you're welcome! It could be that the rose absorbed more alkalinity from the lime application while that bud formed. It responds fairly quickly to pH changes. Kim

There's also the factor of heat.

RdV did dependably bloom lavender/purple here, near the coast, about 90% of the time. Only when we got a really hot spell did the blooms shift to pink.

In fact, I once entered a very nice RdV in an ARS Rose show, only to have it pushed aside as "mis-named," because the eminent rose show judge (who lived in a hot area) "knew" that the bloom should have been PINK, rather than lavender. HA! I guess he didn't catch that "Violettes" thang.

Jeri

Jeri - That is really frustrating! I am fertilizing well and watering and have fenced this rosebed from deer (No. 1 problem here). Perhaps I will have a bloom for the fall rose show (Oct 1). THe bush bloomed too early (May) for the Spring Show (early June).

When it blooms well, rdV blooms are spectacular, plus fragrant. Kathy

Many years ago I grew Reine de Violettes and what I liked best about it was that the leaves were scented, rather unique I thought. The scent has been described as peppery. I don't remember well but I think that it was more reminiscent of the mossing on moss roses. The leaves had to be brushed or crushed to release the scent. I believe I got the plant from Pickering.

Cath

Here's an example of that color shift, in different temperatures.
NOTE: This isn't RdV. This is "NOT-RdV," but the color shift is the same, from cool weather to hot weather.

{{gwi:288226}}

Jeri