I noticed this rose several years ago as winning numerous gold medals in Europe, and wanted to learn more about it, but it wasn’t available stateside. I just saw it as “The Charlatan” for sale in USA this year. A Bonica offspring, it has single flowers with purple/red stamens and is strangely striking for a pink single.
I confess that I had thought of this rose as one that Jim Sproul might utilize with his Hulthemias, among other interesting potential uses.
Does anyone have any experiences with this rose? It’s apparently quite prolific with blooms.
Link: www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.39740.3
Hey Philip,
That’s a gorgeous single! You talked me into it, where can I find it??
Jim Sproul
Very interesting parentage for one thing. Nice colored stamens. It is interesting that a white blend came from that heavy pink background. The pink is still there but not as much as I would think it would be. With Playboy and Bonica in the parentage it should be a blooming machine.
Armstrong Garden Centers has it in their pre-order list. They don’t do mail order, however, so you would need to pre-order and then pick it up in one of their stores come January. I think the closest one to you would be in Los Angeles.
‘The Charlatan’ is triploid and sets some op hips. It is a very pretty rose.
Garden Valley Ranch lists it for mail order.
Link: www.gardenvalley.com/shop/roses/1/?q=charlatan
Bonica 2.0 
I am curious if exhibitors plan on using it. I havent been to a show in eons but the one thing I do know is that singles + large symmetrical sprays = exhibitors galore. Playboy, Playgirl, Altissimo, Dortmund, Golden Holstein and Sally Holmes have been exhibited to death 
I dont even think most of them actually care for the rose itself tho lol.
btw, if you like Charlatan then you may also like First Light. Its pretty much a modern polyantha bred from Bonica and Ballerina. Its about 2.5’ ball of huge single-formed, candy pink clusters. The foliage is pretty decent. It sets hips here. Its not a bad and is fairly aesthetic unlike Pink Knock Out or Flower Carpet Pink. But… again… its pink
If picture #146761 by Judith on HMF is any indication, this is not any ordinary pink. Those golden stamens outlined in wine are extraordinary. Kind of like well applied mascara.
I saw it at UMore Park in the test beds and it stood out a mile. It was gorgeous. But the name ‘Charlatan’–why?? Are they planning to introduce a whole series including ‘Quack’, ‘Con Man’, and ‘Snake Oil Merchant’?
My impression had been that Bonica could yield crimson stamens, and when I first saw this Meilland introduction and it reminded me of First Light, I figured Bonica might be in its pedigree.
I first learned of this rose from the World Federation of Roses’ trial results several years ago. This was a winner of numerous trials across Europe, and when you see the same rose over and over again, you take notice.
It is quite striking, and has Bonica’s dark leathery foliage to offset the blooms too. I recall posting in 2006 trying to find if anyone new of a source stateside.
I should clarify that I have never seen this rose in person, but inadvertently came across it for sale online this week. A google search for ‘rose “the charlatan”’ will pull up multiple listings for sale.
The horrid renaming comes as a consequence of somebody’s idea of introducing it as a follow-up in a series starting with a rose called “the imposter”.
Dunno if the stamen color would transmit to offspring, nor how they might play out against the eye of a hulthemia, but wondered if anyone had worked with it or grown it. I did not realize it was triploid – thanks David. Wish I knew pedigree of pollen parent.
I am going to guess that Play Rose, the pollen parent, is a direct descendant of Centenaire de Lourdes.
I dunno, Jadae, that’s going back a long way. And as a 1989 Meilland intro, I was going to guess she might in fact be a kin to Bonica herself. I would assume that Bonica and her kin, including the mother (Rosa sempervirens L.
Betsy, I do happen to know how it got named “The Charlatan.” It was the second one in a series to a rose called “The Imposter,” that is supposedly an imposter for Clematis, i.e. not really looking like a rose. Same for The Charlatan – in garden center/general public terms, a single petal variety is not the public’s first idea of what a rose looks like.
So, its a really bad marketing name? cause I dont think most people are that into roses to try to see the connection.
I love the Home Run ross but the name was just as bad in relating to Knock Out. It pretty much flopped at Lowes – being a single and all. It almost always ended up on clearance despite its wonderful health and vivid color.
Phillip,
Alba M. is near-sterile but some have got seedlings. Its a nice rose in its own right though but the blooms midew and stick =/ Its great for steep public slopes. The thing about Meidiland is that they breed decent roses out of total trash sometimes. I am going to guess that they have quantity on their side. Nirvana and a few other floribundas like Coppelia 76 were my other guesses. They love to cross species hybrids with floribundas. I went with CdL based on petal and foliage characteristics as my first guess.
Eurodesert Roses is back in business and has the Charlatan–selling as Astronomia.
Jadae, nows your chance. Rose show Lloyd center sat., top floor. I’m going to check it out, first ever.
I used to be a part of that society, although the Fall show was always at Washington Square and the Spring show was always at the Lloyd Center Ice Pavillion. The glass ceiling is cool because it shines light onto the roses and the light is reflected back upwards into the atmosphere.
Im currently in Idaho studying for my masters in landscape architecture, so I’ll only be in Oregon during breaks and the summer during the next 2 years. Sorry about that.
"The horrid renaming comes as a consequence of somebody’s idea of introducing it as a follow-up in a series starting with a rose called “the imposter”.
Well, being at least partly responsible for this, I think I should give all of you a friendly warning. Dealing with commercial nurseries will be both rewarding and frustrating, whether you are a professional or amateur breeder. The reality of the market place we are dealing with on a daily basis just happen to make it so.
in garden center/general public terms, a single petal variety is not the public’s first idea of what a rose looks like.
Seen Arctic Sunrise at a show. Less than 1" lots of blooms, thornless, white double, straight up narrow form. This did not look like a rose AT ALL.