Searching for some input/comments. Three years ago I was excited to raise a seedling from ‘Ann Endt.’ I was thinking, humm, hopefully something purple. It didn’t bloom the first year, but I retained it because it showed no susceptibility to black spot. It had tiny foliage, a somewhat sprawling habit of growth, and lots of prickles. Year number two it had two blooms which I almost missed because of their size - 3/4" or so. The blooms were so unusual, 5 thin strap-like petals, that once again I almost tossed it. Year number three was something of surprise. It began to show that it was remontant, somewhat in the fashion of its seed parent. The plant is still quite compact, less than 24" in height, 24" wide, with tiny, somewhat slender foliage.
After looking at HMF I discovered that ‘Ann Endt’ is suspected of being a cross of R. rugosa and R. foliolosa. Any thoughts on miniature rugosas or reblooming foliolosas? Any potential for using it further?
There’s lots of potential there Stephen. I really like it. I’m working on mini rugosas myself so this is exciting to see! If you need a test garden on the BS magnet of the east coast let me know.
I love the shape of the petals. I’d take a plant of it if it were available too. If it is fertile, it would have some nice/unique characteristics to pass on. I’m sure I could find a few plants here to cross that one with. Congrats on such a good looking seedling.
I think I need to find myself a plant of Anne Endt.
Yeah, keep it! Good hardiness (which it might get from mommy, no?) combined with a very compact habit, disease resistance, and repeat bloom? That sounds awesome. The funky blossoms…well, who knows what direction that could take. Maybe you can work towards a ‘quill’ type blossom. It would be really interesting to see the offspring of this rose. Of course anything can turn out to be a dead end. Any hips last year?
To echo Rob and Kim, if you want to test it for hardiness in the frigid north…
I’d say it’s definitely worth playing with a little further. I suppose that to succeed beyond mere novelty, it would need to be quite florifierous, but I think the quirky form is worth working with to be sure. It should be a fairly hardy one too, I would think. And I gather the blooms are much larger now? (Or are the leaves quite small?)
I agree with Michael. My ‘Purple Springs’ (Hansa’ x Rosa foliolosa), if it doesn’t technically repeat, the blooming of the flowers is over a period of several weeks.The foliage characteristics are like Rosa foliolosa. I wonder it might have extra drought resistance.
My Ann Endt took 3 years to get established. During that time it hardly bloomed. Now it is pretty much continuous in bloom. So it should like this seedling takes after Anne Endt in that way. It does look a lot like Rosa foliolosa except the darker flowers and it looks like it got thinker leaves. I would grow your seedling but I am also a sucker for singles and I really love the foliage of R. foliolosa. Either plan sound worth doing to me.
One of my foliolosa (which may have some rugosa in it), which bloomed for the first time last yr., did rebloom a bit in Oct., but I will be watching it closely this yr. The foliage of the offspring, which are about 4 Mo. old, and are products of a cross with Henry Hudson, look a lot like your photo, but the leaves do not have quite the substance of those. But this may change with maturity. Right now they look more like the parent foliolosa with a bit more texture. I do like the flowers you have there-no telling what you could produce. Crepe paper with substance. I did get a few other germinations with other crosses, but I think there are no survivors-they all were quite weak and mildewed. But the foliolosa/rugosa look like they are on steroids. Good luck with your specimen.
