So, this is the old tea rose with which "Colonial White" was confused in commerce?

Gorgeous, and the first I've heard that "George Washington RIchardson" has been ID'd.

Jackie

It had been growing under everyone's noses for years as "Huntington La Biche".

It’s gorgeous, whatever it is.

@jerijen I just emailed Tom Carruth asking if he would please check the accession card for "Huntington La Biche" to see when and from whom or where they obtained it. Hopefully, that will solve that mystery. Fingers crossed!

OH, YEAH! Thanks Kim! I never thought of doing that -- and I would LOVE to have that question answered.

It clearly came to them as a found rose . . .

My pleasure, Jeri. I'm trying to remember the gentleman's name who provided so many of the older modern roses to John MacGregor and Clair, but it's been YEARS since I have read it. I know they both received many roses from Vintage and likely all other nursery sources around in those decades. Carl Cato sent them many things. Guess I need to dig out my Vintage Big Book of Roses and start browsing to refresh my memory of some of the names.

Whadda 'ya wanna bet it came from Santa Rosa?

Phil Edinger is the gentleman whose name I was trying to remember. He supplied MANY of the early moderns for The Huntington. One of several whom I hadn't the chance to meet. From the Vintage book, "Originally identified at the Huntington Gardens as 'La Biche', this is clearly not a tall clustering Noisette.... it is the same rose we saw labeled Mlle. De Sombreuil at the Roseraie de l'Hay in Paris." Robinson, found.

Well, let's hope Edinger left a record of it!

I doubt he supplied the La Biche and if he left any record of anything, I have no idea where that may have been. From what I was told, he was "elderly" thirty-plus years ago. The best possibility is that Tom is able to supply the provenance from the accession card. Watch that be "Vintage"!

Oh crumbs. Yeah. That'll be all it says.

@jerijen Tom responded....

"Kathy and I scoured through the old accession records and the computer accession records with no results. We looked under all the possible names but no luck. Looks like we’re not going to help solve the mystery. Sorry.

About 4 years ago, on Jeri’s recommendation, I did plant Mlle. de Sombreuil in the Tea/China section. It is thriving and performing beautifully."

So, no luck as to the provenance, but your suggestion succeeded! As if there would be ANY doubt!

Well, Tom's one of the world's nice people, isn't he?

Mystery remains.

Yes ma'am!