Various lists of good seed parents/good pollen parents have been very valuable to review as the new hybridizing season nears. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of their favorite list? I would also highly value knowing what have been your personal favorite seed parents/pollen parents, and why.
Thank you!
Livin Easy is a great seed and pollen parent-- And Queen Elizabeth is a wonderful seed setter too.
Orange Ruffels is a good parent too-- and passes on really glossy foilage when combined with another glossy leaved rose. I think one seedling, Orange Ruffels x Scarlet Moss, may be good enough to introduce-- Not very mossy, and is excessively thorny, but the foilage is thick and glossy, and appears to be disease resistant (so far). The flowers are a Floradora orangey-red color and smallish.
I’ll wait at least 2 years and share it with some folks.
HC Anderson is my easiest seed parent. Lloyd Center Supreme and Danae are pretty easy for me, too.
Easy seed parents (the moms that produce seed hips easily and seeds that sprout easily):
Minis - ‘Rise ‘n Shine’, ‘Chipmunk’, ‘Fairhope’, ‘Orange Honey’, ‘Halo Today’, ‘Sam Trivitt’, Scarlet Moss’.
Floribundas and Shrubs - ‘Orangeade’, ‘Little Darling’, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, ‘Livin’ Easy’, ‘Tournament of Roses’, ‘Lady of the Dawn’, ‘Geisha’, ‘Sexy Rexy’.
Hybrid Teas and large flowered roses - ‘Lynn Anderson’, ‘Stainless Steel’, ‘Gemini’, ‘Sheer Elegance’, ‘Sheer Bliss’, ‘Azure Seas’, ‘Crystalline’.
Good pollen parents are easier to find since most roses produce fertile pollen.
Minis - ‘Baby Love’, ‘Hot Tamale’, ‘Michel Cholet’, ‘Roller Coaster’, ‘Party Girl’ and just about any other mini (the first two listed above are my favorites).
Floribundas and Shrubs - ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, ‘Livin’ Easy’, ‘Pretty Lady’, ‘Tournament of Roses’, ‘Abraham Darby’, ‘Angel Face’ and just about any other floribunda or shrub.
Hybrid Teas and large flowered roses - ‘Ingrid Bergman’, ‘Olympiad’, ‘Sunset Celebration’, ‘Stainless Steel’, ‘Signature’.
Jim Sproul
For enjoyment purposes only, I have been hybridizing for the last 5 years or so. My favorite rose in the garden for many years has been Blue Girl (although the name is now referred to in the ARS Handbook as Kolner Karneval, which is unfortunate since I prefer the name Blue Girl). This rose has an exceptional fragrance, a trait which is important in my hybridized creations. I decided to use it in my hybridizing program, and have found great success with it as a seed or pollen parent. It gives off significant amounts of pollen, and also produces hips that contain seeds that have a high percentage of sprouting.