Lady Roberts blooms from yesterday

5 years ago

Lady Roberts (tea, discovered 1902) is a color sport of Anna Olivier. I have grown AO for decades (it was re-introduced in commerce in North America from an ancient plant in our garden when it was discovered that the cultivars circulating were really another rose - it was identified by the "tea rose ladies from Australia).

I was excited to hear from Jeri that LR existed, and had darker colors than AO. I have a bush of LR that is about 6-7 years old now, and just getting mature. It has the same growth habit as AO - will grow large, mine is 8x8 so far, and it is eyeing a plum tree it is near, thinking of climbing on it. I have read that Lady Roberts frequently sports back to AO, but I am happy to note that mine has not done so. In addition to the habit, the shapes and sizes of the buds and blooms are also identical. The colors are amazing, and like Anna Olivier, can be variable. Several pics of blooms and buds below. Note that where Anna Olivier has usually got buff colored blooms with a dark brick color on the base of the petals on the outside, Lady Roberts has that same pattern, but the color is on sterdoids!

Jackie

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Comments (10)

K S 7a Yakima
5 years ago
Gorgeous rose! Thanks for the pictures Jackie! I'm particularly impressed by how distinct the color is on the bases of the petals on the back side of the rose -- amazing!
jacqueline9CA
Original Author
5 years ago
K S - it does not always do that. A large part of the charm of Anna Olivier and also Lady Roberts is the variation in the colors. I could not resist that one bloom which had such distinct markings.

Jackie
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Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
5 years ago
What in amazing rose and story! You have contributed to rose history
portlandmysteryrose
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Ditto Vaporvac! Thank you, Jackie, for your thoughtful preservation efforts—AO, LR and all the other wonderful Teas, etc. in your historical garden—and your posts about these old roses. Carol
Formerly RBEHS Z10A/S17
5 years ago
On a side note, I've noticed those little grasshoppers (in your first picture) on a lot of my roses this year. I don't think I've seen them before. Do you know what they are, and why they are hanging out on roses?
portlandmysteryrose
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
RBEHS, it looks like a baby katydid to me. Things might be different in CA, but in my OR garden, katydids don’t show up in droves and they do very, very little if any real damage. I just let them be. They‘re actually pretty cute and seem to be attracted to our porch light. We carefully open and close the door so we don’t crush one if it’s hanging around when we’re entering/exiting. Katydids also “sing” to attract mates. :-) Carol
Formerly RBEHS Z10A/S17
5 years ago
Thank you! I used the app on my phone to identify them, and it said "Grasshopper" which wasn't too helpful. They were as surprised to see me as I was to see them.
SylviaWW 9a Hot dry SoCal
5 years ago
That is one bright-colored tea!

Color variation is one of the best things about teas, imho
librarian_gardner_8b_pnw
5 years ago
So beautiful! And what a great story. Thank you for sharing!
roseseek
5 years ago
@jacqueline9CA your photos of this rose are pretty much why it was one of two Anita ventured down this way a few weeks ago to bring roses south. Thank you (and Anita!)!