Rose Cuttings – March, 2010
Reve d’Or is the first Noisette rose to win recognition as an Earth-Kind® rose. Photos courtesy of Mike Shoup.
New Additions to the Family
It has recently been announced that two more roses in our collection of old garden roses have been recognized as Earth-Kind® roses. This brings the current total to 21 roses. As you know, Earth-Kind® rose designation is based on eight years of research and field trial data, as well as input on cultivar performance from an advisory panel. This process makes Earth-Kind® roses the most thoroughly tested, research-proven and environmentally responsible landscape roses recommended for use in Texas landscapes. ‘Reve d’Or’ and ‘Cecile Brunner’ are the latest additions. We rose growers couldn’t be happier, as they are great roses!
‘Reve d’Or’ is the first of the Noisette class to win such accolades. I am very fond of Noisettes, as most are vigorous climbers that lend dramatic expression in landscaping a garden. Their characteristic weak-stemmed flowers hang down, as if dripping from the arbors and pillars that they adorn. ‘Reve d’Or’ has beautiful, fragrant, yellow-pink flowers. The French name of this rose means “dream of gold.” ‘Reve d’Or’ is included in a group of true aristocrats of the South; they have adorned many a Southern plantation. I can’t wait for other Noisettes like ‘Madame Alfred Carriere’, ‘Lamarque’, ‘Crepuscule’ and ‘Jaune Desprez’ to join this prestigious group.
Polyantha ‘Cecile Brunner’
‘Cecile Brunner’ is another one of the many Polyanthas that have been recognized as Earth-Kind®. It joins its peers like ‘Perle d’Or’, ‘The Fairy’, ‘Marie Daley’, ‘La Marne’ and ‘Cl. Pinkie’. ‘Cecile Brunner’ is also known as “The Sweetheart Rose” because it was, and still should be, used as a boutonniere given to loved ones. The pink flowers are exquisite miniatures of perfectly formed rose flowers, again with wonderful fragrance. The compact shrub is very versatile in the garden, as well as in containers and borders.
Many of the Polyanthas have sports that probably should be designated as Earth-Kind® as well. Sports are genetically identical plants except for a change such as flower color or growth habit (i.e., bush to climber). For example, ‘Marie Daley’ is the pink sport of ‘Marie Pavie’, while both ‘Cecile Brunner’ and ‘Pinkie’ have sported climbing versions. ‘Marie Daley’ often reverts back to its original white form (‘Marie Pavie’), so the two are interchangeable.
I hope it will not be too far into the future when more Chinas, Teas, Noisettes and Polyanthas that embody Antique Roses receive Earth-Kind® recognition. These roses have proven their worthiness over time.
About the author: Mike Shoup is the owner of the Antique Rose Emporium. Visit his company’s Brenham and San Antonio display gardens for endless ideas on landscaping with roses. To order roses online, visit www.weAREroses.com.