My thanks to JohnReb for helping to finally identify these huge and tallest, colorful Grandifloras: Sundowner. I have two of them, and they grew to 12 feet the first year from Walmart body bags. (They were supposed to be Sunsprites, LOL!) The bush picture below was taken on 6/25 this year, after a typical Spring pruning down to 2 1/2 ft. They are easily over 10 feet now, as I type this post.
Cyberblue recently posted a description and photo, but after looking at these pics again compared to his, I'm doubtful that this is the rose. As mentioned, super-tall, 4 inch flowers or larger on one-to-a-stem or twosies and threesies every once in awhile. Flowers are bright orange with yellow bases (like a Tiffany, almost), and then age to a salmon or coral pink. Form is a short-cupped exhibition style that lasts forever, never flattening and rarely shattering. Unfortunately, fragrance is non-existent, which is why I kept asking questions until JohnReb had the solution. I thought they were scentless Folklores.
Besides their super-height, the stems have an unusual trait on the way to their vertical peaks of 4-6 feet each: a slight zig-zag at each leaf. Leaves can be quite large, and have the unusual trait of retaining a red edge and red veins long after the rest of a new leaf has turned green. They are really very nice roses - especially now that I know what they are.
Cyberblue, please look:
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cyberblue
rosetomOriginal Author
cyberblue
rosetomOriginal Author