It’s the sap dye injection by renegade florists!
Somewhat intrigued and new to me by this cross cut.
And my pruners need sharpening as it been busy spring cleanup (ragged finish to cut).
4 Likes
Yes, the anthocyanin is strong with this one! I’ve seen some other non-rose plant variants display similar dark phloem coloration in conjunction with highly colored flowers, like the reddish-flowered cultivars of Prunus mume. This kind of internal coloration is pretty exceptional among roses. I wonder if cultivars like ‘Ann Endt’ feature similar internal coloring.
2 Likes
Hi Stefan,
It was interesting and generates a minor number questions for me l will try remember over the years (is color a spring feature? or occurs through out growing season, was it releasing the color stored in roots in fall (chlorophyll equivalent etc?, or an artifact of a maybe passed cane? etc).
The rose is at best semi-hardy (imZ)), but keeps coming back. l pruned the stout cane on the day and photod - appears not doa of spring. But bush needs shaping badly (1 + cane wonder, own root 2015).
Numerous new growth had erupted, and a basal break or two, at bottom of cane. Figured now, or never, for shaping test / bushing out. Cane sacrificed on bet better to send energy to new growth - not up to slow to break dormant and re-develop old cane.
I noticed something similar a few months ago while pruning Strandperle Norderney. Even the wood was tinged with purple, much more so than visible in this picture.
A few days later it was off-white as you would expect it, I assumed it oxidized.
2 Likes
That is really interesting, amazing things one finds. Note a rugosa ( hybrid) and purple, wonder if it has Basye since 2019 intro. by Tantau.
Thanks for sharing.
I haven’t pruned it in all seasons, but my feeling is that the coloring is present year-round (the stems are always dark in appearance, and the leaves even have a tinge of darker color). Based on the similar hybrids out there (such as ‘Ann Endt’), I would not be surprised if this kind of anthocyanin production and distribution doesn’t result regularly from crosses between R. rugosa and R. foliolosa. In that case, it wouldn’t necessarily require a rose like ‘Basye’s Purple’ to be in the lineage.