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• VIRgene

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Light yellow Hybrid Gigantea.
Registration name: VIRgene
Exhibition name: Evergreen Gene ™

Bred by M.S. Viraraghavan (India, 2006).
Introduced in United States by Roses Unlimited in 2007 as 'Evergreen Gene'.

Hybrid Gigantea.  

Light yellow.  Small clusters and singly.  None to mild fragrance.  26 to 40 petals.  Average diameter 5".  Large, full (26-40 petals), cluster-flowered, in small clusters, high-centered bloom form.  Once-blooming spring or summer.  

Tall, climbing.  Large, semi-glossy, medium green foliage.  

Height: 12' to 20' (365 to 610cm).  

USDA zone 6b through 9b (default).  Can be used for garden, landscape or pillar.  Remove spent blooms to encourage re-bloom.  

Our dear and good friend Gene Waering, earlier of New York, USA, and now settled , after retirement, in Jacksonville Florida, has been instrumental in making our roses known in the U.S. And when we came in January 2006 to be honoured as the Great Rosarians of the World at the Huntington Garden and Library, Pasadena, Gene flew in to take charge of us and spend time with us, driving us up to San Jose and other places to show us around the gardens all along the way. We were waiting for a really spectacular gigantea to emerge from our stable – and when this shortish climber with large double creamy yellow flowers of a beautiful swirling shape emerged, we knew we had a winner and that it had to be named for Gene. It is a continuous flowering fragrant Hybrid Tea form variety with large glossy foliage. It is one of our favorites, and as it is continuous flowering, we look out of the window and glass doors of our dining room to look upon the pergola of blooms of ‘Evergreen Gene’, every morning while we have our breakfast.

One of the first hybrid giganteas with perfect Hybrid Tea form.

Named to honor a very dear friend of the breeder, Gene Waering