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northspruce

Could this be America? Or Tropicana?

northspruce
18 years ago

This is another rose that came with the house. Introduced definitely before 1990 probably in the 1970's. The color seems right for America or possibly Tropicana.

I know America is a climber, but nothing climbs in my garden because most roses die back to the ground in the winter (including this one). So it doesn't rule it out. This rose is not particularly vigorous in my garden and the leaves are getting eaten by thrips but it pulls through every year.

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Close up of petals:

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The blooms are fairly small and are one per stem. Scent is very light but there is some. The buds have a really long sepal shaped like a leaf... (see the ones facing down especially)

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Here is the shrub...

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The thorns are average size and frequency and are pale colored and straight.

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Hope you can make something of it! Thanks.

Comments (7)

  • rosetom
    18 years ago

    I would say it's not Tropicana. The flowers may be too pink, but that's not the clincher in my mind - your camera color could be off, or the overcast conditions could push the color toward pink.

    It's the bottom picture that doesn't look like Tropicana. Tropicana is viciously thorny. Tropicana thorns are not consistent, either. There are numerous sizes mixed in, with hundreds of tiny thorns forming almost a skin of bristles inbetween.

    It certainly looks like you got a nice collection of roses with that house.

  • sueto
    18 years ago

    If the colour in the pics is true, it's not America. I just ran outside to look at America's foliage - not quite as jagged on the leaf edges and darker. Sorry I can't help further.

    Sue

  • _sophiewheeler
    18 years ago

    The color of the closeup on my screen is Electron pink. I'm assuming that that's not it, as you compared it to coral/coral pink colored roses.

    My thought is that the form and your compared to color resembles Voodoo, but I'm not sure that it's old enough for you. The other major coral rose that's widely available is Fragrant Cloud, but you would most definately describe that as having a strong scent.

  • bethnorcal9
    18 years ago

    How about MONTEZUMA?

  • northspruce
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Hollysprings, no it is not Electron pink, in fact there was an Electron in the garden when I got it and it wasn't close.

    This rose is a really strange dark orange-pink but not quite coral that is really hard to describe. It is not red, not pink, not orange but an equal mix of all 3. Sadly it's not really my favourite rose but I don't hate it enough to SP it. The pics I took came true to color on my screen. It's not as orange as Voodoo (and probably just a little bit older)

    The pics of Montezuma really do look like it. Especially the long leafy sepals. It probably is now that I read about it... ok well thanks!

    Rosetom, yes I was lucky to inherit these roses, especially since I bought the house from my grandparents and the roses were my Grandma's. Unfortunately since the 70's and 80's when she was planting roses, she has gone a little forgetful (well she is 91) and can't remember their names anymore except a few.

    Anyhow, thanks for the help as always.

  • johnreb_va7
    18 years ago

    I concur with Rosetom, about the rose not being Tropicana. (And I thank him for the most "vividly accurate" description of Tropicana's thorniness I've ever seen in print!)

    I also concur with Beth's guess of Montezuma. Northspruce, I grow all three of the main guesses in this thead (America, Tropicana, and Montezunma). Of those three, to my eyes your mystery rose looks most like Montezuma.

    Montezuma was introduced in 1955, so it's definitely old enough to have been planted by your Grandma way-back-when. Here is more info, from the ARS description for Montezuma.
    Class: grandiflora
    Bloom color-class: orange-pink [others says salmon orange-pink]
    Average petal-count per bloom: 36
    Frgarance: slight
    Leaves: leathery, semi-glossy

    Does that description match up fairly well with your mystery-rose?

    Regards,
    JohnReb

  • northspruce
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Yes I'm quite sure it's Montezuma. The two blooms in the cup have aged to what could definitely be called orange-pink. Thanks again, you rose ID people are fantastic!