Well, that little pot of “Lady Banks Red” I got at Lowes finally bloomed. I laid the pot down on the slope where my pre-existing plant of Red Ribbons is and lined it up with the blooms on Lady Banks Red. Can you guess which one it is?
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Second from the right is the bloom from the Lady Banks Red pot. The plants, foliage and blooms are identical.
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Its not just this Nakase Brothers Wholesale Nursery outfit that is doing this – I was in Costco yesterday (Fountain Valley store) and they were selling standards of “Sweet Chariot” that was actually an exhibition form mauve mini with burnt red edges that was OBVIOUSLY not Sweet Chariot – I would have believed it if they had said it was Dr. John Dickman, but it was certainly not Sweet Chariot or anything else by Mr. Moore.
And I have an older plant I also got at Lowes some time ago that was labelled Magic Carrousel and although it is the right color and generally consistent form-wise, I have had experts tell me it was not that plant (on account of it being 4 feet tall and having massive sprays).
Somehow coming up with a new name for a known rose is less offensive to me than taking a variety already in commerce and putting a new, different rose with the older name.
Good work. That question has arisen before without such a definitive answer (complete with illustrations, no less), Thanks.
Good detective work there Kathy. The rose called Lady Banks Red, is there any info on it, I could not find it on HMF, thanks
That’s the point David – there is no such thing as a real “Lady Banks Red.” All the true banksias (or should it be bankiae?) are yellow or white.
What this nursery is doing is making things up.
OK!
Is it possible they have received prior permission to do this from the breeder/breeder’s agent??
Why are you laughing (I am also laughing here)…someone could ask them about that, could they not?? (not trying to play naive here, however bringing it to their attention may solve the matter one way or the other), yes / no??
:O)
Thank you Kathy! I theorized it might have been Red Ribbons a long time ago, but it wasn’t worth actually buying one to find out. The worst of it is, Red Ribbons is patented. I wonder if Nakase, et. al, are paying Kordes royalties for selling Red Ribbons as “Red Lady Banks”? It IS the same rose, just not their name.
Probably not. Ive turned in companies for royalty theft before so it wouldnt surprise me.
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I’m curious which agent is actually perpetrating the deception: the stores marketing the plants, or (more likely) the propagator? Any idea who actually propduced the plants in question? You could follow up with the propagator directly if you wanted to challenge this practice.
Nakase Brothers generated the Lowe’s plants. I don’t think it has been done to “perpetrate deception”, but more as a “marketing” act. It would be easy to make a case for any marketing to be perpetrating deception. What they’ve done is to brand Banks like Flower Carpet, Knock Out, Pinocchio, “Jewel”, “Magic”, “Glo”, etc. Yes, I do feel it deceives because it isn’t a Banksiae and will never grow nor perform as one, but it may climb a bit, it is red and is probably the only way to give the average brain doner DIY-Big Box shopper any idea what to expect from the $8 gallon plant.
Why is that any more deceptive than the 6", foil wrapped flowering pots of Baby Blanket and Red Ribbons being sold twenty years ago (my introduction to both) for Mother’s Day in department stores here? Both looked cute as forced, florist plants which we all know aren’t meant for garden use, but are promoted as being able to become, though not guaranteed to work. Plant a neat, little, bushy Red Ribbons expecting it to remain a neat, bushy little plant and see what you receive! It’s always impressed me as a repeat flowering Huey. Guess that explains how much I’m attracted to it, huh?
I guess I am more offended by the idea of renaming an existing cultivar to give it new life, probably without consulting the creator. If anyone ever takes one of mine and markets it under a new name, I’ll have a fit, I swear. (Perhaps I should say when not if!)
I hear what you’re saying. But, as long as they’re paying royalties for doing it, go for it. If not, I’m right with you!
It is usually the wholesaler. Sadly enough, it isnt illegal in terms of labeling laws, but it is illegal for other reasons 
For example, I could have coded inventory to say Huffer Puffer for Common Lilac, and it would be legal. However, if I did that with a legally coded variety, such as a new reincarnation of some sort of dwarf, sterile Butterfly Bush … haha, not so okay.