Last Spring I did these crosses of Sympathie X R. Virginiana and found there are some significant foliage variation within the offspring.
[attachment 600 SymXVir1.jpg] This first one, the plant is not overly big upright and under 3ft, leaves are quite small and very thick textured and darkish green, with 7 leaves per leaf stalk. Canes are not overly thorny.
[attachment 601 symXvir3.jpg] This second one displays lax growth and is over 3ft high. The leaves are mid green with red tinging at the base of the leaf stalk and has seven leaves per leaf stalk. Growth cane is not overly thorny.
[attachment 602 SymXVir4.jpg] This third one displays lax growth up to 4ft high, with growth canes being very thorny. Leaves are mid green and 9 leaves per leaf stalk. There is also some red tinging down the leaf stalk.
[attachment 603 SymXVirg5.jpg] This fourth one displays lax growth around 3ft, leaves are mid green with seven per leaf stalk, leaf stalk is red and growth canes are red tinged. This seedling is almost thornless with one or two thorns/ 6"of cane.
[attachment 604 MimasXVir.jpg] This is a Mimas X R. virginiana. growth is upright to 3ft high, leaves mid green, matte and seven leaves per leaf stalk. This seedling is quite thorny.
These Sympathy X R. virginiana seedlings are now one year old and have started to form flower buds, would be nice if they are red like the seed parent and semi double , but that is only hoping.
Those have some very attractive, interesting foliage, Warren. I’m particularly attracted to the bristles on the peduncles. That might be interesting to play with as potential “mossing”.
With all that variation of foliage, I would expect some variences in the blooms all around. Will be an interesting follow up post to look forward to. But the coloring of the foliage and stems are quite uniform.
Mine has dark red new growth that hardens to dark, dark green. The architecture looks like the Mimas X R. virginiana selection above, but they are Coffee Bean x R. virginiana.
Michael I am hoping the Mimas cross will flower for me this year but does not look promising. There are a few more of the Sympathy crosses forming flower buds at the moment. Foliage on these last spring /summer was untouched by PM and BS and the fall foliage was red orange like maple leaves, which I enjoyed looking at. They do have a few little bristles Kim, I should cross it with my Odysseus moss hybrid.
[attachment 1170 SymXVirg1.jpg] I would say this opened yesterdasy and with the 91 F temps and bright sunlight this bloom may have faded slightly. Scent is similar to Briar and has 16 petals.
Where did you get your virginiana, Warren? Cultivars vary, of course, but mine is solidly disease resistant and hardy. Sympathie does well here (USDA 5b) both for hardiness and disease resistance so your seedling would probably do well in a much colder place than yours. Keep us informed on how it does in the heat.
Don the R. virginiana was obtained from a rose grower here in OZ.With the Sympathy cross there are 4 different seedlings, pan up to the start of this thread and you will see them. I have one which is crossed with Mimas. All 5 are going to flower this year, there was no flowering in there first year.
Drop me a line if you’d like it.