Book  (2006)  Page(s) 101.  
 
'Francesca'. HM. Good reliable rebloom. Outstanding fragrance. 2 [growth – Similar to Prosperity] . Pemberton, 1922. (Provenance: Lykke). High-centred Tea rose buds of deep egg yolk yellow open to wide, flounced flowers with fruity, musky perfume. Florally one of the most showy of the Hybrid Musks.

Book  (2004)  Includes photo(s).
 
p110 [Photo]. Francesca This enchanting Hybrid Musk will grow up to 1.2m (4 ft) tall and equally as wide. It makes an ideal informal hedge. Although paling slightly over time, the large sprays of flowers are composed of blooms of differing ages, so the overall effect from a distance is bright yellow – no doubt the attraction for this foraging honeybee.

p234. Francesca. Introduced Pemberton, UK, 1922. Parentage: ‘Danae’ x ‘Sunburst’. Large, long sprays of semi-double flowers borne on a wide bush. Slightly scented blooms are deep yellowish apricot to begin with, paling to soft yellow. Purplish green stems and glossy, dark green foliage. Tolerant of partial shade. Slight fragrance. Continuous flowering. Height 1.2m. Width 1.2m. (4 x 4 ft) Zone 6.

Book  (2004)  Page(s) 192.  Includes photo(s).
 
'Francesca'. Hybrid Musk. Bred by Pemberton, (UK) and introduced in 1922, ‘Francesca’ produces loose clusters of large, strongly fragrant, loosely double, rich, apricot yellow flowers in repeated flushes through the season. They tend to nod their heads on weak stems. Foliage is dark green and glossy on a vigorous, tall, spreading bush. It is one of the best of the Pemberton roses and is evergreen in warm climates. (‘Danae’ x ‘Sunburst’.) Zones 6-9

Book  (2003)  Page(s) 157.  Includes photo(s).
 
Francesca Hybrid Musk.  Origin:  Pemberton, Britain, 1922.   Parentage:  ‘Danae’ x ‘Sunburst’.   Flower size:  9cm (3.5 in.)   Scent:  Medium, rich, fruity, and musky.   Flowering:  Repeats continuously.  Height/Spread:  2m (6.6ft) / 2m (6.6ft).  Hardiness:  Zone 6.      Of all the Pemberton Hybrid Musks, ‘Francesca’ has the largest flowers and the richest colour.    The flowers are glowing amber-coloured in the bud (long and elegant) and as they open out, before fading to buff and cream,  They are loosely but lightly double,  with enough petals to droop under their weight – a very attractive feature, since the flowers come in large, open pendulous sprays (typically of 5-10 flowers).  The leaves are an excellent foil for this rich colouring – dark green, glossy, almost modern-looking, and very healthy.    The plant has very few prickles and a lax habit of growth.    It is not the most vigorous of Musks, but takes a few years to grow to maturity, after which it sends out long annual new growths of 2m (6.6ft) or so.    It is a reliable repeater, seldom out of flower, and capable of producing very large clusters of flowers in autumn.    

Book  (2002)  Page(s) 81.  
 
I found a plant of ‘Francesca’, a Hybrid Musk I had not grown before.    It was bred by the Reverend Pemberton, the originator of the whole much-treasured family of Hybrid Musks.    Like most of the others, ‘Francesca’ grows into an attractive arching shrub, but its semi-double, rather lethargic-looking flowers are apricot yellow, so they were wrong for this predominantly pink bed.    In the end I found a spot for it in the blacksmith's garden near 'Buff Beauty'. 

Book  (Apr 1999)  Page(s) 366.  
 
Francesca Hybrid Musk. Pemberton 1922. Parentage: 'Danaë' (Hybrid Musk) x 'Sunburst' (Pernetiana). The author cites information from different sources... copper orange, medium size, single... large, golden apricot flowers in loose sprays...

Magazine  (1999)  Page(s) 16. No 17.  
 
Peter Harkness, The Hybrid Musks. …There was confusion in Pemberton’s own mind, for he described ‘Danae’, ‘Moonlight’ and others as Hybrid Teas for some years after everyone else had decided to call them Hybrid Musks. He is said to have adopted the term Hybrid Musk in 1919, yet ‘Francesca’ in 1922 and ‘Aurora’ in 1923 were offered by him as Hybrid Teas before he allowed them to fall in line with the rest.

Magazine  (1999)  Page(s) No. 18..  Includes photo(s).
 
p25 Peter Harkness: The Hybrid Musks. Parentages where known. ‘Francesca’: ‘Danae’ x ‘Sunburst’ (HT).

p26 ibid. Hybrid Musk Popularity Guide. 'Francesca'. Apricot blend. 38 growers. One RNRS Analysis entry in 1954.

p34 photo caption: ‘Francesca’ (Pemberton, 1922) (‘Danae x ‘Sunburst’ [HT]). First offered by Pemberton as a Hybrid Tea, this elegant continuous flowering rose produces large sprays of semi-double apricot yellow flowers – a rare hue amongst shrub roses.

Website/Catalog  (22 Dec 1998)  Page(s) 24.  Includes photo(s).
 
Francesca Hybrid Musk. Pemberton 1922. Description... 'Francesca' produces large sprays of beautiful semi-double blooms...

Book  (Dec 1998)  Page(s) 251.  Includes photo(s).
 
Modern. Modern Shrub, apricot blend. Repeat-flowering. ‘Francesca’ gets its buff apricot color from the very early Large-flowered Rose ‘Sunburst’ and its spreading habit of growth from the shrub ‘Danae’. The lightly fragrant, almost single flowers come on long sprays on a tall, spreading bush with healthy, soft-green foliage. Flower production is excellent in spring; the plant then blooms continuously from summer until autumn. An excellent shrub rose, ‘Francesca’ combines well with bulbs and perennials of similar coloring in a mixed border; in warmer areas, it retains its foliage in winter in the manner of the Noisette Roses. Zones 4-9. Pemberton, UK 1922. ‘Danae’ x ‘Sunburst’.