This is the third seedling from this cross to bloom so far. I have sometimes waited several years for species crosses to bloom, so I am happy that these are blooming in their second summer. All three have had similar very double pink blooms. The blooms on all three have opened much more slowly than I would have expected. This may bode well for hot-climate performance.
This seedling is exceptionally healthy, and is the most vigorous seedling I’ve ever had. It germinated about one year ago and it produced some very long canes, one over 7 feet, in its first season. I wouldn’t be surprised if it eventually gets bigger than either of its parents. The canes are flexible, so it should be possible to train it as a climber.
Thank you all for your kind comments! I just noticed that a fourth seedling from this cross has its first bud. Exciting times!
This cross produced an unusually high percentage of good seedlings. I’ve only had one other cross in 12 years of hybridizing that produced such a high percentage of keepers.
I’m not sure how many of these seedlings I have at the moment. I kept about 20 seedlings from this cross, and about 10 from the cross R. roxburghii normalis X Gilbert Nabonnand. A few of them did not survive the winter. In general, the R.r.n. X G.N. seedlings are less vigorous and less healthy than the R.r.n. X M.T. seedlings, and none of them have bloomed yet.
That would be a lot of fun…IF I hit the Lotto and can afford to have more of the slope terraced; protected against rodents; irrigation installed; some sort of shade created… not saying ‘no’, just not today. Thanks!
Of the 20 or so R. roxburghii normalis X Mons. Tillier that I kept after the first season, only four ever bloomed. They are all doing well. I have tried a few crosses with them. None has ever produced a hip.
None of the R. roxburghii normalis X Gilbert Nabonnand seedlings ever bloomed, although I’ve kept some of them and am still hoping.
Beautiful, Jim! That result is what I pictured when I began playing with traditional Roxburghii, but nothing like it resulted. I don’t know about the fertility of the Spineless variant yet. I obtained bud wood June 2015. It provided two flowers a few months ago and is now growing. I wanted to make sure it was propagated and spread around as it exists in far too few places.
You’re welcome! Been that way, too. I obtained Normalis and this one, but the Normalis didn’t propagate while this one did. I found pollen in the traditional double and it appeared to release properly, but nothing took. Does Normalis appear happy there in Monterrey? We are six degrees warmer with 6% more humidity and a point higher on the UV Index than you are right now. You are forecast to be slightly warmer than we are this evening.
