That's a beautiful rose and I hope you can propagate it successfully. In case you're not aware of it, and have not been following the several other threads happening here, right now: Be aware that "Seven Sisters" is a name used throughout the South, mainly by grandmothers, as the name of any pink rose whose correct name they don't know or don't remember. It's truly amazing how many roses get called by that name. And your beautiful rose is one of the many "imposters" -- not to insult the rose -- it's beautiful (maybe better than the "real" SS). But in case you're looking for information on it, be aware that it is not 'Seven Sisters', a rose that has strange leaves that are dull matte, rather fuzzy, and most of the leaflets are convex (as opposed to concave like most other roses and like your rose) -- the leaflets curve like the top half of a pillow on the true SS. Here is a link that might be useful: Redoute's painting of Seven Sisters

Kim, I'm not convinced that the color was so rare- a search of Tea Roses at HMF shows quite a few that are called red or dark red, including FD's presumed ancestor, 'Souv. de David D'Angers'. The dark red color combined with the large flower probably was a real treat, though, and it sounds like the plant was a nice shape if grown in suitable conditions on suitable understock. I read the review below of 'Francis Dubreuil' from a 1906 issue of Gardening Illustrated Magazine, and felt that 'FD' was being praised for his beauty, but also subtly dismissed. The writer suggests that because 'FD' has a weak neck that the HT's 'Liberty', 'Warrior' and 'Richmond' are better choices for red flowered pot roses, and that 'Princesse de Sagan' is a better choice for mass planting of a red Tea in the garden. 'FD' is best grown as a standard for buttonhole flowers. Honestly, if I were in the market for a red Tea rose in 1906, I wouldn't have rushed out to buy 'FD' after reading this review... As for why 'FD' wasn't available in U.S. nurseries at the turn of the 20th Century, it may have been due to something fairly simple- poor marketing, problems with importation, plant losses due to weather/poor storage or some other factor(s) lost in the sands of time. Or you may be right to suspect that 'Francis Dubreuil' just wasn't a very good or useful rose, and American nurseries preferred to devote limited space to better/ more popular plants. Virginia Rose Francis Dubreuil Red Tea Roses appear very much out of place when mixed with other Tea-scented varieties at the exhibitions, but in the garden their value is justly appreciated. It is a question whether the Rose under notice of the variety Souvenir de Therese Levet is the better, but I think the place of honour is usually accorded to Francis Dubreuil. It is a lovely Rose, of exquisite shape in the bud, and of a rich dark amaranth-red colour, with a maroon shading. Its beauty is best displayed when grown in standard form. Here it will make a glorious head, if budded upon a thrifty Brier, and one may always be sure of a good button-hole flower from a tree of this sort. Neither this variety nor Souvenir de Therese Levet is seen to very great advantage as bush plants, their growth being rather too diffuse to be used as garden varieties, but upon a low wall they would be grand. Where highly-coloured flowers are appreciated several plants of Francis Dubreuil should be grown, considering the scarcity of good reds among the Hybrid Teas, and by good cultivation upon well-drained soil blossoms of great beauty may be obtained. Being a true Tea, it is as free flowering in autumn as in summer. The tropical weather of the last few weeks has been very favourable to this Rose, and I have been able to cut numbers of lovely blossoms. There is a beautiful reddish Rose named General Gallieni which is worth growing. It has a tinge of coppery-yellow at base of petals, and often pervading the centre petals, but its general effect is red. Betty Berkeley and Friquet are two other good crimson or...[bottom of the page is cut off]... but the best of all for general effect in the mass is Princesse de Sagan, which is as much a China as it is a Tea Rose. How effective are its velvety crimson blossoms, so quaintly twisted and so freely produced! Another Rose that has been splendid just lately is the Hybrid Tea Etoile de France. I have been inclined to condemn this Rose, but must hesitate in view of what I have lately seen. I am afraid that in a cool or wet season it would be a failure, but in seasons like the present it will be fine. As a pot-Rose Francis Dubreuil has one failing, and that is a peculiar weakness in the stalk, which causes the blooms to bend at the neck and appear on the plant quite distorted. Market growers have, for this reason, been obliged to discard the variety. Perhaps it is not wanted as a pot-Rose now that we have such beautiful reds as Liberty, Warrior, and Richmond. ROSA.

Yep, that's them. We had them growing all over the backyard fence. They reseed like mad and are just about impossible to get rid of. When they're immature the seeds are soft (kinda like the seeds from a green bean) and range in all the colors of the sunset from the palest pink to the red of the mature seed in your photo. Irresistable to play with for kids--we used to string them on pine needles going from light to dark in color. The vines also made great whips to pop little sisters with. Considering all the dirt, rotten mangoes, and other things we ate out of that yard, it's amazing none of us died.

I guess I should have said where I live. I am on the Central Coast California in between Santa Cruz and Monterey. I have had roses here in CA for 38 years and grow mainly HT's and some old garden roses. They grow all year around here so some that stay small elsewhere can get pretty big here. I prune them in October before the rainy season starts, which goes from Nov. to May when we get the only rain we are going to get for the year. We have had a hot dry drought for the last 4 years, but usually we get foggy cool summers. I have my roses on drip during the dry months. I don't get much black spot, mildew or rust much, except during winter. But if a rose is prone to those diseases, it really gets it then. I have only grown one David Austin rose in the past, Fair Bianca, and it never did well. I don't know why. Maybe I got a lemon, so going to try growing DA again. The area is next to the house that you walk by. That is why I was looking for small compact roses that only spread to 3 ft. and don't get leggy. They can grow taller but just not wide. Thanks everyone!