Bought 4 grocery store minis over the last month. 3 are Poulsen Parade roses and the 4th is a Kordes Kordana. I checked all the different varieties on sale regarding their thornlessness and these 4 were nice and smooth including the rachis. The tags were generic with no specific name. HELPMEFIND gives no, to almost no, information on the heritage of Parade roses in general and I notice on the Poulsen web site the description under each named rose is pretty generic and repetitive though the descriptions seems to mention they set no hips. I realize from a prior discussion that the varieties constantly come and go and if named on the label might not necessarily be the correct name. Have they bred for sterile females or is this just a disclaimer so no one will complain if they aren’t female fertile
My question is has anyone had any actual experience with these minis and have you noticed if they set hips, even OP? Frankly, my experience with minis from several mini rose nurseries has not been too good with regard to health and vigor so I thought I might try playing with these smoothies.
Would appreciate anyone’s experience hybridizing with the grocery store minis in general.
Jimmy, there is no way to know whether what you’ve bought are remotely similar to the specific varieties I have experience with, but, here goes. My youngest sister and her husband bought “grocery store minis” to replace the annuals their gardener always sacrificed in their front yard. The plants are nearly ten years old and are enormous. Most grow between three and four feet tall and about half to two-thirds their height, wide. They have literally become “hedges” and are never really pruned. The climate is perfect for growing roses with full sun, excellent drainage and nothing to eat the plants or flowers. Irrigation is by automatic sprinkler. There have been hips on these particular plants over the years, though I’ve never germinated any. I wasn’t interested in using something I couldn’t find out anything about.
A friend is famous for “rescuing” these types of plants from the grocery store markdown tables. He refuses to pay more than a quarter for them and the yard is full of them. These perform “OK” in his terraces in half day sun, too little water and rabbits. They do set hips, definitely. I’ve only used one of them as a seed parent and they germinated and grew well enough. The seedlings just weren’t anything special.
You know these varieties were selected for ease of production (rooting, growth, etc.) and for being able to be pushed and flower in small pots at small plant sizes. If you can find some of them healthy enough in your area with the level of care you desire, why not try them? The traits they have already demonstrated their success in are quite good ones for you to included in your goals, in my opinion. Go for it!
Most of the Parade roses (and other Poulsen miniatures and patio roses) are grown in Canada by Aldershot Greenhouses. These roses used to be tagged by variety, but now they have only a rather general tag which, if you’re lucky, will give you the name of the series. I have 2 of the Parade series (Hit and Scarlet) in the ground here in Charleston, WV, and they do all right. I suspect they’re triploid–each plant sets only 1-3 OP hips per year. If you go to the Poulsen website and look up the Parade roses there, you may be able to identify what you have. There was some discussion of these Poulsen roses on GardenWeb not long ago. You might want to check it out by clicking here.
In my very limited experience, you may find these are not the same roses once they are outdoors. Some change colors and exhibit phototropic effects, and others do grow surprisingly large, as Kim says. I have right now a nearly 2’ “mini” ‘Patiohit’ that my wife bought as a 4 inch rose 1 1/2 years ago, and the blooms are now 3" across.
I’ve wondered if they are treated with hormones to keep them diminutive, as are the “mini” hibiscus they so often sell to unsuspecting southerners who are shocked when the things become trees once planted out…
Kim, you’re just jealous because we have three climates here: wet, wetter, and wettest. But you made a mistake when you were trying to say “stunts everything at 30 feet.”
Charleston, West Virginia is officially in USDA zone 6b, but last year and this year (so far) we’ve experienced local warming (has anyone studied this phenomenon?), and the lowest temperature has matched zone 8a. Even the bracteata you gave me 11 years ago is not dying back this year–and did not die back last year.
Well, I AM a “bit” jealous of some of the wet. They reported yesterday we are 5.5" of rainfall short of ‘average’, which is huge when you consider ‘average’ is only about 14" total. I am NOT jealous of the humidity. I grew up where furniture must be kept 6" from the wall to prevent it from mildewing to them. I hated ‘raining’ as soon as I’d showered, dried off, dressed and exited the bathroom. I loved how everything I planted, whether rooted or not, lived and grew, but I don’t miss actual “cold” weather. Nor am I one who will drive TO the snow. Seeing it from fifty miles away is plenty close enough for me.
Your Clino-Bract not freezing is pretty frightening. Almost as much so as our 88 degree January and February, dry weather. If this keeps up, we’ll get back to our “normal” seasons… Earthquakes, Smog, Fires, Mud Slides, and they’ll come many months earlier, and far more severe.
I purchased a Por La Mar potted mini around Valentines day (lavender with bright yellow stamens) so far it has two OP hips with visible seeds. I have been unable to identify it on there website or on patent description, hopefully I wont kill all 8 of them at once and not be able to replace it. If I can get any seeds to germinate I will update this thread. Another mini (red) purchased several years ago but only planted in the ground last year did develop an OP hip very late last year. I suspect it will set seed may be relativily fertility even thouh total number of seed per hip and seeds per bush are not as good as larger shrubs or ramblers only time will tell.
If anyone ever visits Poulsen nursery I would love to hear about it.
Thank you for the update. My 4 THORNLESS grocery store minis have been doing very well in the house. I am amazed at how after a flush they immediately start setting buds for the next flush. The only disease in the house I have seen was a tad of mildew here and there on my yellow which I rubbed my finger across and that ended that. ( I know I shall have to wait until I put them outside to see how they fair with the blackspot- I remember about 8 years ago talking to Pat Henry of Roses Unlimited in her greenhouses. She was inspecting the roses for mildew and other beasties and she said, “Roses don’t get blackspot in the greenhouse.”
Interestingly, the yellow mini mentioned above was a semidouble with wavy flower petals when I bought it. On subsequent flushes they are a full double. Have one Kordana and 3 Poulsen.
Will have to wait until I put them outside and replant them as to whether they develop hips or not.
If anyone is relatively close to Roses Unlimited, late March is a wonderful time to visit. That was my birthday treat to myself, an 8 hour drive, an overnight, and a return 8 hour trip plus roses. Spring was just starting in the area and I mean just, but the greenhouses were full of one gallon plants all in early or full bloom. It was a joy to behold.
We have two seasons – cold monsoon and warm sun. Fun times Currently, it is snowing. Usually spring break brings a week of sun, followed by 2 months of rain.
As for the potted minis, I do not specifically recommend them. The mass majority of them bleach badly in the sun and mildew. Also, a lot of them seem to be mechanically sterile.
If I were to use minis, I would use the select few bred specifically for gardens. This is slowly trending, which is a nice change from every mini possible descending from Zorina. Coffee Bean, for example, is a rare color that is generally healthy outside and seed fertile. Some are germinating as I write this.
Thanks for the comments Yes, it will be interesting to see what happens when I bring them outside. Just got back from grocery shopping and they had some Poulsen Patio Hit’s on sale. Bought a thornless dark crimson red.
I know you have recommended Coffee Bean a lot. How is it regarding thornlessness. I am getting so I am tired of working with thorns and it has become a big issue for me.
None of the minies in a planting here had hips but this micro mini with great color had enough yellow anthers to make me think of crossing with Queen Eliz.
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Another micro with hips and small wood match. One and two seeds in these.
Years ago where I lived there was a mini called Orange Sunblaze, it use to flower non stop, so I decided to cross it with Baronne Ed Rothschild and got these. They are never without flower with healthly. I have only used mini’s twice in my breeding, Orange Sunblaze and Wendy. Pics of the Baronne Ed Rothschild X Orange Sunblaze.
I’ve succumbed to the grocery store minis many times. Usually in February when they’re everywhere for Valentine’s Day and I need a rose fix really bad! I struggle to keep them alive inside until they can go out and a lot of them don’t make it through their first winter. But my brother got me Isolde Hit (he knows to look for name tags and actually found one with a tag!) a couple of years ago and it just came through it’s second winter very strong. It’s been very healthy and is a vigorous grower. I haven’t tried to use it and never let it set OP hips so I don’t know how it would do. I do love stripes though so maybe I’ll give it a shot and see.
Those are neat looking mini crosses, Warren. I think you should hit Orange Sunblaze with everything you have. Seil, use the striped pollen instead of for seed. Even Ralph had issues with many striped roses producing good seed, but the pollen often worked well.
Warren those are beautiful. I like the coloring on the last one alot.
Seil I know how you feel. This year I ended up buying one of these also. It is under the victory label. Looks more like a small floribunda and not like a miniature. It has very shiny foliage. Light orangish cupped flowers with little scent. I tried to find the name but nothing on poulsen site looks familuar. I expect it will become a different color outside. I highly doubt this one will survive a typical winter here but I will plant it outside this year and see.
Currently, it is snowing. Usually spring break brings a week of sun, followed by 2 months of rain.