Sunday, June 17, 2007

Who Loves Ya, Baby? [Updated 8-30-07]



Apologies to our fan(s) for the long wait. We had the best of intentions to update this post ages ago with information on the rose pictured. The internet is usually quite helpful in searches for pesky details we don't bother to memorize or occasionally fail to record -- in this instance, class name -- but not this time.

This is a hybrid tea rose called Tuxedo. Our personal characterization of the color is "deep, velvet red." The petals are dark red and have a velvety sheen which does not come across in a photograph. This would be our top pick for the title Perfect Rose, but (alas, alas) it has no scent. When grown in full sun, the petals tend to stay partially furled, giving the flower a compact, multi-pointed star appearance. In partial shade, the petals relax and open more fully.

So, what's the big mystery? We searched and searched, both online and in our own rose encyclopedias and guides, but nowhere was this rose mentioned. This evening, however, we at long last got a hit. The hybridizer who bred it, Jack E. Christensen, mentions it on his web page. It turns out that this rose variety is no longer sold. (Pity.) If anybody else is growing it, they're not talking about it on the 'net.