Abracadabra rose is reverting

last month

This is a 2 year old starter plant, almost a foot tall (looks like a miniature rose right now). Flowers are almost 2 inches across, it use to have yellow striped flowers the first year. One branch has gone solid and was the first to bud out (no stripes on that side), still waiting on the other branch to see if it still comes out striped. I read this is an unstable sport, rather sad to lose the stripes. Anyone with experience preventing a striped rose from reverting? Thanks for any input.

Photo of small solid abracadabra rose with regular sized red/pink roses, shows off the dark maroon color.

Featured Answer

susan9santabarbara

last month

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to prevent the reversion. That whole line of roses (Frisco/Black Beauty/Hocus Pocus/Abracadabra, etc.) has a strong tendency to revert back to Black Beauty. Which is quite interesting, since the original rose in the line is Frisco, a pure yellow. Black Beauty sported from that, then Hocus Pocus, then Abracadabra, then Simsalabim and Alakazam. I originally got several Hocus Pocus ~2000, and some stayed true, but one eventually had Hocus Pocus, Frisco, and Black Beauty on the same plant for a few years... that was amazing. I had one Hocus Pocus that has stayed true for 25 years, but it's being taken over by the Manetti understock, and only has one cane of Hocus Pocus left. Abracadabra was supposedly the more stable form of Hocus Pocus, so I bought an Abracadabra from Roses Unlimited in 2019, and it never bloomed striped, so I bought another Abracadabra from Rogue Valley in 2024, and it never bloomed striped. Both were very well-established gallon plants, so presumably (if anyone was paying attention) they knew they weren't blooming striped. Interestingly, I have a Simsalabim and an Alakazam (both further sports in the line) that have remained stable. Both are yellow with red stripes, as opposed to Hocus Pocus and Abracadabra, which are red with yellow stripes.

Alakazam:

Simsalabim:

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Comments (12)

susan9santabarbara
last month
Here are a couple of pictures of Black Beauty... it's quite nice in its own right. Your blooms will improve in size :-D
Tide pool thanked susan9santabarbara
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Tide pool
Original Author
last month
Thank you so much for the information about your experience with this rose, and the lovely photos. My abracadabra starter came from Rogue Valley too. I shall call it a black beauty henceforth.
Diane Brakefield
last month
Susan, thank you for your detailed and expert report on this unique line of fascinating sports. I first became interested in them when Simsalabim was being sold at auction in California, and the price was blown out of the ballpark. Was that you bidding then, Susan? I agree that Black Beauty is a stunner in its own right. I love dark, velvety roses.

And thank you, Tide Pool for starting this discussion. Diane
susan9santabarbara
last month
Diane, no it wasn't me bidding on Simsalabim! I got mine from Beth Hana (Beth in NorCal) when we did some trades back in 2021-22. I got my Alakazam from Steve at Wisconsin Roses in 2022 as a budded maiden. At this point, I have 4 Black Beauties, all reversions. Tide pool, now the question for those of us who have never seen an Abracadabra in person is where can we find one that is true? I never bothered to complain to RU or RVR, given the rose's tendency to revert. But I have to wonder if anyone has ever received a striped Abracadabra from them, or if their mother plants are still Abracadabra :-D
nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
last month
I've had to reorder Abracadabra several times from RVR because it's a weak plant and doesn't like surviving my winters. So far I'd say at least 3 plants in a row have been the genuine striped Abracadabra, say within the last 6-7 years. They do sometimes have the correct plant though as you say it can also be a reversion as you've discovered.

It's worth replacing because the blooms are so heart-stoppingly beautiful. I'd love to find one grafted if Steve at Wisconsin roses ever starts it up again.

Cynthia
Tide pool
Original Author
last month
The abracadabra from Rogue Valley had two striped flowers (one on each branch) on the first bloom, so RVR did ship the correct plant. But the second bloom came in solid. I am a sucker for striped roses and ordered another abracadabra plant. I suppose in the end they'll all be black beauty, lol.
susan9santabarbara
last month
Keep us posted!
Tide pool
Original Author
last month
The new Abracadabra is a bust (seller on Etsy), first bloom a solid red. And it's not the deep maroon color but a bright red. Rather bummed out about the lack of stripes.
susan9santabarbara
last month
Bummer, Tide pool! One thing that might make you feel better is that I have over the years had some Black Beauties with lighter blooms... maybe not quite as light as that in your picture, but close. Although I will say that once the striped version has gone to BB, I've never had one go back to striped.
Tide pool thanked susan9santabarbara
susan9santabarbara
last month
Tide pool, I thought of you today when I saw this bloom on one of my Black Beauties... not the typical ultra dark red/black bloom. It does this from time to time, and I find it very attractive, but I love blacking of red roses, and veining. If you compare it to your picture from yesterday, you can see some similarities. I know it doesn't get us any closer to a striped Abracadabra, but I thought it was interesting :-D
Tide pool thanked susan9santabarbara
Tide pool
Original Author
last month
Interesting how random the shade of red can be. Would be nice if it sport back to stripes, heehee, one can only wish.