107 Introduction to Modern Roses
Description
This article is from the Rose Gardening FAQ, by Bill Chandler chandler@austin.ibm.com, Jolene Adams jolene@cchem.berkeley.edu, Brent C. Dickerson odinthor@csulf.edu, Karen Baldwin kbaldwin@veribest.com, and many contributors
107 Introduction to Modern Roses
Hybrid Teas, Floribundas and Grandifloras are the common roses of the 20th
century. Their forebears--the Old Roses-- have been ardently covered in the
FAQ for Old Roses written by Brent Dickerson. He explains how the Hybrid
Perpetuals became the direct antecedents of our Modern Roses. They were the
results of crosses of the European Roses and the Chinas, Teas, European and
Meditteranean types, and various species roses during the 1700's and 1800's.
The interest of the breeders and the general public was for roses that
bloomed recurrently (again and again during the season) and were hardy
enough to withstand winters in Southern and Middle Europe (and England).
They were usually white, pink, red, buff, purple, spotted, striped or blends
of two colors.
Hybrid Teas are the roses we usually see at the Florist Shop. They are the
classic image of the rose. The large blooms (up to 6" across!) are produced
all season long, usually one bloom per stem on stems long enough for
cutting. They usually last awhile when cut for the house, and can be
conditioned to last for an entire weekend of adverse conditions at a rose
show. The bloom elegantly unfolds, having a pointed center, with the petals
spiralling out in layers as the bud opens. The bloom is at its "artistic
best" when it is 1/2 to 3/4 open, with the tight center still closed, the
petals furling out and the bloom looking dewy fresh and full of life. Colors
are whites, pinks, reds, yellows, oranges, russets, mauves, all shades that
blend into each other, bicolors with one color on the inside and one color
on the outside of the petal, striped, some can be spotted or freckled, and
one color "splashed" with another on the edges of the petal. Hybrid Teas
began appearing in the late 1860's and "took over" as the rose to have in
the garden.
Floribundas are a hardy, bushier rose, with smaller blooms that usually come
in clusters. The blooms can be shaped like the Hybrid Tea or like the Old
Roses -- high centered, dished, or cupped, sometimes like a pompon. There
are some Floribundas that yield one bloom per stem but generally they form
clusters of florets, making them ideal for landscape use. They also come in
the larger color range of the Hybrid Teas. The breeding of Floribundas began
in the 1920's with crosses of Hybrid Teas and Polyanthas, a smallish,
cluster-flowered rose with wiry stems. 'Mlle. Cecile Brunner' is an example
of a Polyantha, as is 'Margo Koster'. Grandifloras are the result of crosses
between Hybrid Teas and Floribundas. The plant breeders were seeking larger
blooms on a bush that would yield both one bloom per stem and also set
clusters of florets on long stems for cutting. Grandifloras inherited the
best traits of their parents. They got form and stem length from the Hybrid
Teas, and large, vigorous, repetitive blooms from the Floribundas.
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