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'Amy Robsart' rose Reviews & Comments
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In David Elliott's photo from Leiden, it doesn't look like it's thornless. One reference mentions large prickles.
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My love affair with the Penzance roses began in the Arnold Arboretum about 30 years ago. They had a grove of several that were 10' tall free standing shrubs. Checking the label, I found they were 'Greenmantle' and Malcolm Lowe in Manchester, NH was the source of the plants. So I decided that for a wild garden the Penzance roses were what I needed. I headed up to NH where I bought 'Greenmantle' and a selection of OGRs.
Over the years I bought all the cultivars I could find, including 'Amy Robsart' which I still have. All of them, given enough time to mature, will make a tall free standing shrub. I have never managed to reach the magnificence of the Arnold Arboretum grove, but even in zone 4, if given enough time and manure, they will make a free standing shrub with canes arching gracefully from about 10' (over three meters).
All the Penzance roses I have seen have typical R. eglanteria canes and thorns.
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#2 of 3 posted
26 NOV 22 by
 jedmar
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The reference from 1900 speaks of "rare and strong" prickles. No mention of arming in other sources. One German nursery mentions strongly armed canes. A further case of mislabelling?
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Palustris, I see you grow Amy Robsart. Do you think the "Eden Valley-Springton sweetbriar" (photos posted under Amy Robsart) is the same rose? If not, which?
Also, I see you have an interest in ramblers. Would you please look at "Hawthorndene Tennis Court", and see if it's one you've grown? I've seen it in two places in the Adelaide Hills (zone 9b) and in northern Tasmania, don't know the zone but possibly 7.
We'd also appreciate knowing if you recognise the "Eden Valley-Springton Yolk-Yellow Rambler".
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Amy Robsart builds up at a rather measured pace, here in the mountains of AZ. It has long canes that are not highly branched, and these canes might easily reach eight or ten feet. It needs some structure to hold it up, but not much. The foliage is deliciously redolent of green apples in much the same way as R rubiginosa, the eglantine rose, especially on moist spring mornings. The flowers are close to two inches across and in a coolish shade of pink that goes well with the rose's foliage. It is remarkably tolerant of light shade, poor soil, drought, and utter neglect, which is pretty much what it gets in my own garden.
My guess is that in places with better conditions and less laissez-faire cultural practices it could well turn into a monster, if it is not meticulously and regularly pruned. The good news, though, is that the canes seem to stay green and vital, aging fattening, and weakening more slowly than those of some roses (thinking of Abraham Darby...) And this means that while the rose's size remains in bounds, pruning is rarely necessary.
I cannot say I would recommend planting this rose for its blooms. But I do love having a spot in the garden where I can always find green apple smell.
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The pollen parent referenced on the description and lineage pages is R. Foetida, but the all of the reference entries indicate an unspecified HP or Bourbon. Is there any compelling evidence one way or the other?
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If we do not match the references then most likely a site guest commented and we made the change. Unfortunately we do not seem to have that comment. We'll see what we can find. Meanwhile, if any site guests can confirm this parentage please let us know.
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#2 of 3 posted
25 MAY 10 by
jedmar
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The reported parentage is from the Sangerhausen catalogue of 1988, which has detailed information to the various cultivars of Lord Penzance. There must, however, be an earlier source on which these are based.
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We've added a reference for Sangerhausen
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