Are there any climbing mini roses that have merit in crossing with hardy species roses to create hardier climbing or climbing mini roses?
Great question and welcome to the RHA Forum!
A mini climber that has had above average cleanliness for me is ’Roller Coaster’. It is useful as both a seed and pollen parent. Germination rate has been average for me.
Best wishes,
Jim Sproul
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I use Magic Wand by Ralph Moore. I live in Nebraska and I don’t cover it in the winter and it doesn’t die back. Very hardy. I have gotten a few hips so far . I only tried it s little last year. I plan to pollinate all the flowers on it this year.
Daniel Pennell
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That’s good to know it is that hardy, Daniel. There is a lot of potential in that rose which hasn’t already been mined from it. Good luck!
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I would agree with using ‘Magic Wand’. I have only planted OP seeds from it, but have kept a handful. I agree with Kim that there is still much to be mined from it!
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Another vote for Magic Wand. Its an excellent plant on its own, but it truly earns its name when used as a breeder. As Kim says, its barely been mined for all of the possibilities it contains. Ralph used it to obtain miniatures, but it can do so much more.
When combined with the right mate, it can also produce extremely healthy (Blackspot free) offspring.
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Imagine Magic Wand crossed with Teas, Tea-Noisettes; what might happen with species?
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Thanks for the suggestions. I considering crossing it with some the hardier species. Do you have any suggestions with crossing it some of the teas or less hardier roses.?
I do grow a number of tender roses that I grow in pots and are moved to a pole barn for the winter.
I’d use anything you have, literally. I’m planning to use pollens from several found Teas with it: Jesse Hildreth; George Washington Richardson (Mlle de Sombreuil); Ping Dong Yue Ji; Moser Striped Rose (Rainbow/Striped Papa Gontier); L-amarque; Mme Antoine Mari; Faith Whittlesey; my Annie Laurie McDowell; Basye’s Amphidiploid 86-3 (Banksiae X Laevigata); and my double Hugonis hybrids. I’ll put its pollen on Faith Whittlesey; Mme Antoine Mari; Ping Dong Yue Ji; Pretty Lady (Scrivens); 0-47-19 and anything else in flower as long as the pollen holds out. I also have Xanthina and Primula pollen to use and Magic Wand is as good a candidate as any other.
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I should have included in my original post is that I live in zone 4 and I’m less than a mile from zone 3, so cold hardiness is a goal. It will probably take a few generations to accomplish this.
I do have a fair amount of space to overwinter my crosses, but eventually they would be planted outside to see what would survive. Some of the Explorer roses are an option as they are not far removed from their species parents, despite some of their weaknesses.
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This thread has renewed my interest to use ‘Magic Wand’ more. Will also be propagating the OP selections that I have gotten from it. I’ll have to wait until next year to really put it through the range of seed parents.
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