Parentage of this rose is unknown but we can say for sure that Comtesse de Labarthe is the only historical correct name. Duchesse de Brabant was a name given to the rose in an American rose nursery to give it more esteem and panash. It has zero historical evidence. The Duchess of Brabant is a Belgian royal tittle. Today crown princess Elizabeth of Belgium is duchesse de Brabant. Brabant itself was a Duchy in current Belgium and the Netherlands in the high medieval period. Both Belgium and the Netherlands named provinces after the Duchy. Vlaams Brabant and Noord Brabant are examples of this
Comtesse de Labarthe is also known as "Roosevelt' pet rose" and "The shell rose"
But who was the lady named after this rose? Well her name was Augusta de Vendeuve le Forestier and she married to Louis Claude Gustave de Thomas de Labarthe in 1832. He was count of Labarthe so she became the Countess or Duchesse de Labarthe. Labarthe is a commune in Southern France, not far from Toulouse.
Back to the rose itself: Comtesse de Labarthe bears big, very cupped, Chalice shaped, pink, double flowers. They stand in small clusters and have the typical weak neck syndrome of so many Teas so they nod their heads. A strong Tea fragrance adds to their beauty.
Size can vary from 90/245 cm tall and 60/90 cm wide. It depends on the conditions she's growing in. The shrub is nearly always blooming from Spring well into Autumn.
It's an extremely Hardy tea, probably one of the most hardy, zone 5b to 10b. What's also remarkable is her shade tolerance. Semi shade is no problem. She is however susceptible to powdery mildew but don't let this put you off.
Pruning isn't her thing so try to avoid it.
Recommended rose!
No comments:
Post a Comment