Article (newspaper)  (May 2008)  Page(s) 10.  Includes photo(s).
 
Patricia Routley: Maud and Peter Pratt have had a beautiful white rose for 40 years. Peter’s sister, Margaret Green, of Pemberton gave it to them and they have moved it three times when it grew too big for its allocated spot. Once it was up against the house, then somewhere else, and the last time it was moved down to the chook yard. Here with a continued supply of food, it really took off and Peter used to bring the chain saw out each year to give it a controlling trim. After I took a cutting of their rose in 1995, they visited one day and were astounded when they saw it right to the top of one of our pecan trees. “What have you done to it?” they asked. “Nothing,” I replied. “It is a climber.” Since then the chain saw has been banned from around this particular rose. The rose turned out to be Mrs. Herbert Stevens Climbing which is often said to be a climbing tea rose. I lean towards it being a climbing hybrid tea because when it was introduced, Mr. Sam McGredy, the breeder, said it had passed unscathed through the winter of 1908-1909 and withstood 30 degrees of frost and not many tender tea roses escape that sort of cold. The original bush form of the rose introduced in 1910, sported to a climber in France in 1922 and ‘Mrs. Herbert Stevens Climbing’ was introduced by Pernet-Ducher. Since the popularity of the bush form was on the decline by then, its sudden urge to climb probably saved it from extinction. This rose has a weak neck giving nodding blooms on their thin, wiry stems and in the bush form, all you see is the back of the bloom as it droops towards the ground. However, such a weak necked rose is superb as a climber as the flower almost bends down to kiss your upturned face. It is a most graceful and elegant rose for a pergola with the large languid flowers lighting up summer evenings just like many small moons. I cannot extoll the beauty of this rose enough. The translucent petals seem full of snow and sunshine as you look up into a perfect white bloom with the light shining through the petals. The buds are long and thin and as they open, the centre petals form a ball. The outer petals are beautifully arranged and curve backwards quite prettily. When fully opened the huge shapely flowers, 10cm across, are full of airy lightness and are still utterly beautiful. It has a great delicacy of colouring. My roses are nearly pure white, but some authors note a fawn or green shading to the centre, which I have not really observed. There is perfume which obviously came from the pollen parent inheritance, as the seed parent, ‘Frau Karl Druschki’ is quite scentless. ‘Mrs. Herbert Stevens’ was much sought after by florists and used especially for winter weddings. In the early 1930’s it was included in a West Australian plebiscite of the twelve most popular roses throughout the state. It is a long-lived plant and is still to be found in old gardens. It will flower sporadically throughout summer, but mostly produces those beautiful blooms in spring and autumn. I am just so grateful to Maud and Peter for my rose. I urge you to beg winter prunings as it grows quite well from cuttings.

Book  (2 Nov 2003)  Page(s) 20.  
 
Barbara May and Jane Zammit.  Rookwood Cemetery Roses.  
Identified Rookwood Roses. Australia Felix, Borderer, Mrs. Herbert Stevens (climbing) and Mrs. R. M. Finch now only remain in the Long Garden, the original site plants having been lost. 

Website/Catalog  (2000)  Page(s) 159.  
 
Mrs. Herbert Stevens Climbing HTCl. rrr / fff /1. Pernet-Ducher 1910. [HRG]
Clean white flowers with greenish-white undertones; pointed buds and flowers with sculpted, rolled edges;  a profusion of Tea-rose scented flowers and lovely dark green foliage.

Book  (Apr 1999)  Page(s) 559.  
 
Climbing Mrs. Herbert Stevens Climbing Hybrid Tea. Joseph Pernet-Ducher 1922

Website/Catalog  (Jun 1998)  Page(s) 59.  
 
Mrs. Herbert Stevens, Climbing (Tea) A Tea Rose that is quite hardy. White flowers tinged green, with long gracefully scrolled buds and a strong Tea scent. One of the most beautiful and elegant white climbers. (Pernet-Ducher 1922)

Book  (Apr 1993)  Page(s) 397.  
 
Mrs. Herbert Stevens, Climbing Climbing Hybrid Tea, white, 1922, ('Grimpant Mrs. Herbert Stevens'); Pernet-Ducher.

Book  (Feb 1993)  Page(s) 146.  
 
Mrs. Herbert Stevens Climber Large-flowered climber. Parentage: Sport from shrub from 'Frau Karl Drushcki' x 'Niphetos'. France 1922. Description and cultivation... The flowers, which are very fragrant, are pure white with long buds and are excellent for cutting...

Book  (Jun 1992)  Page(s) 220.  
 
Mrs. Herbert Stevens, Cl. Pernet-Ducher, 1922. Hybrid Tea. Sport of 'Mrs. Herbert Stevens'. [Author cites information from different sources.]

Book  (May 1992)  Page(s) 416.  
 
Mrs. Herbert Stevens, Climbing Climbing Hybrid Tea. Pernet-Ducher (France) 1922... One of the best white climbers... An old favourite, frequently found in older gardens and often sent to [Beales] for identification...

Website/Catalog  (1986)  Page(s) 53.  
 
Mrs. Herbert Stevens (Climbing Hybrid Tea).....P.