I was genuinely surprised to see these seeds germinate this Spring, and even as they grew I expected them to turn out to be selfs of L83. Now that they are a couple months old, its quite clear these are R. fedtschenkoana hybrids, with the matte bluish foliage that smells of Pine when rubbed. All three of these are remarkably intermediate in look between their parents. I can see distinct L83 qualities, and clear R. fedtschenkoana traits in all three. Of course, none of these has bloomed yet and I don't expect to see flowers until next Spring, but in terms of their pedigree, these represent potentially remarkable hybrids, unlike anything else before them.
Its curious how, after 15 years of hybridizing, I am now paying so very little attention to the flower style and color, favoring instead the development of unique and sturdier shrubs with better hardiness than their predecessors. (Click on the thumbnails for a full-sized image)Shown here are a few images of all three plants, their overall appearance, foliage and thorns.
Very impressive parentage. Looks like a very vigorous plant.
ReplyDeleteLeaf looks very much L83-like doesn't it... I really like it... love the fresh limey green. Not like any other roses and a nice relief from cookie-cutter roses :)
ReplyDeleteThe foliage has quite a bit of both parent's character. Usually the fedtschenkoana parent is vastly more dominant in expressing itself, but in this instance it seems they are equally matched. I look forward to seeing the first blooms next Spring. (I doubt they'll bloom till then)
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