As far as I know, the last ‘Dornroschen’ hybrid registered is the Canadian ‘Rosy Vision’ (L83 x ‘Dornroschen’), developed by Dr. Neville Arnold and his wife, Catherine, in 2006. This rose cultivar is very beautiful, having double pink flowers and is crown hardy to a Zone 3 climate. Only one rose garden has it as far as I know, the University of Alberta Botanic Garden. I planted it there in 2008. After several years of this rose cultivar being unavailable from a commerical nursery, it now is from Palatine Roses (ships to the U.S.). So I hope it now gets established in more rose gardens, so it won’t get lost.
Two years ago I had hardwood cuttings of ‘Dornroschen’ stuck on the West Coast and obtained three small shrubs. They were planted out this spring in my Zone 3 climate. Only a few flowers were produced (the shrubs were in poor condition when I planted them out), but I did some crosses with them, mostly with ‘Morden Centennial’.
I’m surprised ‘Dornroschen’ on its own roots can grown 1.5 metres tall. I’ve previously grown grafted shrubs of this rose cultivar and they were only about 60 cm. tall.
‘Dornroschen’, although somewhat disease prone, is difficult to ignore for breeding in a Zone 3 climate. It’s crown hardy to this climate and the flowers have better form and fragrance than any of the Parkland rose cultivars. It’s good to keep in mind several of the Buck rose cultivars have ‘Dornroschen’ in their pedigrees, so it has a relatively good breeding track record. Did I mention that ‘Dornroschen’ is very fertile as a pistillate parent and the seeds germinate readily?
So after several years of likely not much activity using ‘Dornroschen’ in cold climate (Zone 3) breeding programs, I think it’s worthwhile to step it up. Hopefully, I’ll have some good results within a couple of years.
I have been impressed with the crown hardiness of ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ by Robert R. and it has ‘Dornroschen’ in it along with some very hardy and nice material from Basye. Have others in cold climates used ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ much yet? I counted it to be triploid, but it seems to be a relatively fertile parent so far perhaps with lots of op hips. I like the mounded plant habit and red tinted new growth and rich red relatively large single flowers.
So far so good for M.O.T.H. here in northern MN. It has only seen one winter, and often diseases can take several years to crop up, so the jury is still out. I love the huge, velvety-red blossoms and the red-tinted new growth, as well. Fat hips with seeds that germinate.
I’m pleased to learn the Montreal Botanical Garden is intending to acquire five ‘Rosy Vision’ roses for its rose garden from Palatine Roses. Again, it’s a very good shrub rose cultivar and I hope it can get established in several more North American rose gardens to reduce the possibility of it getting lost.
I wanted to purchase one Rosy Vision from Palantine but learned during the ordering process that they have a 3 rose minimum and I don’t need three roses. I guess it doesn’t pay for them to ship fewer roses.
Last winter I bought one Miracle on the Hudson and made some crosses as a pod and pollen parent. Many large hips formed and abundant pollen was produced. The plant was very nice and very healthy during most of our sometimes very hot and sometimes very wet summer in our temperate maritime climate of The Netherlands. Unfortunately, about six weeks ago rust developed. It must have inherited its susceptibility for rust maybe from both parents of Lyn Griffith: Dornröschen and Plabasye (Playboy x Basye’s Legacy).