Does Pearl Drift set seed?

General Discussion
1

I’m already starting to think about what I want to add to my breeding stock next year, and have been intrigued with Pearl Drift’s parentage.

Does anyone know the answer to my question?

Thanks,

Randy

2

The HelpMeFindRoses site lists two roses, both bred by W.E. “Bill” Bossom of England. The roses are named Deborah Devonshire (Pearl Drift x Cherryade) and Tender Loving Care (Pearl Drift x (Dublin Bay x seedling)). There are also several interesting introductions that have resulted from using Pearl Drift as the pollen parent. I’ve posted the link below, so you can go check them out.

Link: www.helpmefind.com/sites/rrr/rosetest.html

3

Thamks, Tom. I don’t know why I didn’t think to check with Helpmefind.

Randy

4

I have a large shrub of Pearl Drift. I have never seen it set hips, but then it gets a lot of nitrogen in the summer. If you want cuttings, let me know. I may be able to root one for you if I get Lucky. (I am having a lot of fun playing with a new intermittent mist system).

Pearl Drift if a carefree shrub here. Blackspot is a big problem here and will kill most HT’s after a few years, but Pearl Drift does not seem to get blackspot here.

The Bracteatas are an interesting group. You can get Many Happy Returns in Canada now.

I have several of the Bracteatas, White Surprise sold to me as Pink Surprise, Mermaid, Little Mermaid(moore), Maria Leonida, Pink Powderpuff and Tangerine Jewel, the new mini from Moore. As a group, they are immune or resistant to blackspot, vigorous, carefree, low maintanence roses. At the present time I do not plan to persue this line unless I use Pearl Drift or Tangerine Jewel. If you you see something interesting, let me know.

Robert Welch

5

Hi, I’m interested in acquiring ‘Pearl Drift’ to use in breeding but have been told it’s parentage may be somewhat dubious. I have the latest Moore hybrids and love them. Does anyone wish to comment as to whether they believe that ‘Mermaid’ was the actual pollen parent of Pearl Drift? Does it resemble bracteata in any particular way? It seems to me LeGrice wouldn’t go out on a limb and list it’s parentage as such unless he was pretty sure. Unfortunately I tried to acquire an own-root specimen from Heirloom but it came mislabeled and then they dropped the variety. Thanks, Robert

6

Robert: after reading your post, I took cuttings of Pearl Drift and photographed the cuttings and the leaves. I also took photos of Pearl’s leaves beside Mermaid’s leaves. May I e mail you the photos? Or I will email the photos to anyone who wants them or can post them.

7

If this works, Pearl Drift is on the left with the black dots and Mermaid is on the right.

Robert

8

Wow I got lucky.

Pearl on the left, Mermaid on the right.

9

Pearl Drift cutting. Mermaid has the light green leaves that darken to a glossy dark green. Pearl Drift carries this to an extreme. It could be my soil or just the dry heat. The leaves look normal after they mature.

A rose that was sold to me as Pink Surprise and later related to me by the selling nursery as being a cross of R bracteata X R. rugosa rubra has the identical trait.

White Surprise is sold at other nurserys as a cross of R bracteata X R. rugosa rubra. The parentage of Pink Surprise is listed as R. bracteata X La Rosee. I think it was just an honest mistake by the nursery. The rose that I have shows the rugosa features, but shows the same light green leaves of Pearl Drift.

10

Thanks a lot, Robert.

I appreciate the information and your offer. I think I would love to get a start of Pearl Drift. Hopefully it’s more fertile than Pink Surprise. I have it and have never gotten a thing from it as either seed or pollen parent. It’s about as sterile as a moon rock. A pity such a lovely rose is so barren.

I’ll email you my particulars and we can work out trade/payment or whatever.

Randy

11

Where did you get Pink Surprise? Does it have any Rugosa characteristics? My Pink Surprise came from Canada, it made a huge spreading bush that rooted every time it touched the ground. When I dug most of it up this year after 3 years, it was 6’X6’X6’. I left one twig by accident, does this sound like your rose? I think my bush is really White Surprise. ( see above)

Robert

I started the cuttings of Pearl Drift, If I get lucky and some of them root, we will trade later.

12

My Pink Surprise is from Ralph Moore’s Sequoia Nursery. I think the “Surprise” is, …that it isn’t pink, but white.It is a large fully rugose bush which puts on loads of palest pink single buds that open white. They are large and perfectly symmetrical, with little or no scent.

I’ve tried for three years to get hips on it and failed completely, and it’s pollen has never produced a hip on my rugosas or shrubs. What a pity.

Randy

13

Hi, I checked with Caroline Supinger the Mgr. of Moore’s on this one and she says their ‘Pink Surprise’ IS the hybrid rugosa, despite what Combined Rose List and others state. Yes, an honest mistake. Robert

14

I noticed on Help Me Find there are two Pink Surprises one is the Rugosa cross and another is the cross of Bracteata and La Rosee. White Surprise is the cross of R. Bracteata and R. Rugosa Rubra. My rose did not come from Moore, I got it from Canada.

I have not seen R. Bracteata X La Rosee, has anyone?