Mystery Rose ID? Blooms first everywhere here!

2 months ago

Any idea which rose this is?

So I see this rose everywhere in the older neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon, and I have no idea which rose is it. The plants are typically 6'-8' tall and more than 5' wide (I would imagine they could be pruned but just haven't been).

They are the first to bloom, and when they do, the entire plant is loaded in these two tone floppy flowers. It doesn't have a particular elegant form when opened, but the effect is strong because they are typically completely covered in blooms. The coloring here is typical of the cooler days we are having, but if it warms up, the blooms are mostly a yellow/cream with very, very faint pink tones.

The stems are quite thick, and I would guess they are at least 40-50 years old.

Fragrance to my nose is a pretty strong classic rose, maybe some tea in there as well?

Any ideas? Since I see it everywhere, I thought it may have been the "it" rose several decades ago.

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Comments (4)

roserobertpdx
Original Author
2 months ago
last modified: 2 months ago
Could this be Joseph's Coat that is just not trained as a climber and is a bush instead? It never has the darker orange/red of Joseph's Coat that I've seen in other places, and the fragrance seems too strong to me, but maybe? The vintage seems right.

Or is it Gee Whiz? The coloring of it on the Heirloom Roses website matches, as does the form. I've never seen Gee Whiz in person though so I can't compare.
MiGreenThumb (Z5b S.Michigan/Sunset 41) Elevation: 1091 feet
2 months ago
I'm not sure; this appears to have stripes. 'Joseph's Coat' does not have stripes, nor a particularly notable fragrance to most.

Could it be an old specimen of 'Anvil Sparks'???
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MiGreenThumb (Z5b S.Michigan/Sunset 41) Elevation: 1091 feet
2 months ago
No, I don't believe 'AS' is right either; it seems to usually have more intense coloration and usually a fuller, more pronounced high centred shape
roserobertpdx
Original Author
2 months ago
Yeah, these blooms end up pretty flat and wide (5" at least) and there is some striping too. But I just can't figure out which rose it is. And it was very popular here some decades ago because you see it in many, many gardens.