Commercially available

• Annapurna (tea, Viraraghavan 2005)
• VIRwhite

20 favorite votes.  

White, near white or white blend Tea.
Registration name: VIRwhite
Exhibition name: Faith Whittlesey ™

Bred by M.S. Viraraghavan (India, 2005).
Introduced in United States by Roses Unlimited in 2005 as 'Faith Whittlesey'.

Hybrid Gigantea, Tea.  

White, white reverse, pink center.  None to mild, unpleasant fragrance.  Average diameter 3.5".  Large, double (17-25 petals), borne mostly solitary bloom form.  Blooms in flushes throughout the season.  

Short, bushy.  Medium, semi-glossy, medium green foliage.  

Height: up to 30" (up to 75cm).  

USDA zone 6b through 9b (default).  Can be used for beds and borders or garden.  Remove spent blooms to encourage re-bloom.  Spring Pruning: Remove old canes and dead or diseased wood and cut back canes that cross. In warmer climates, cut back the remaining canes by about one-third. In colder areas, you'll probably find you'll have to prune a little more than that.  

We had sent our very first Tea seedling for testing to Roses Unlimited Nursery, and Gene Waering, our good friend, who visited the nursery many times at different times of the year, in different weathers, was struck by this seedling which was disease resistant, had blooms with good petal texture, evergreen foliage and altogether made a good compact plant. He asked us if it would be all right with us to name this rose for Mrs. Faith Whittlesey, Ambassador of the USA to Switzerland in the 1980’s and presently Emeritus Chairperson of the American Swiss Foundation, based in New York, where Gene used to be Vice President before he retired. Gene has the highest regard and respect for Mrs. Whittlesey, and as he was very taken with this rose, he requested us, and we of course agreed straightaway. Ambassador Whittlesey is fond of roses, and she will be a good diplomat to further the cause of heritage and modern heritage roses like our varieties.
We had the pleasure of meeting Mrs Whittlesey in 2013, when Gene drove us, along with Pat Shanley, now President of the American Rose Society, down to her home in Boynton Beach, Florida.

RNRS 'The Rose' Autumn/Winter 2006 p99 states that it is a Hybrid Gigantea.
Faith Whittlesey (b. 1939), American politician and diplomat
Source for parentage: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/479253545490420/ (Viru Roses)