Crocus Rose was introduced by David Austin in 2000. It is a beautiful garden rose whose strengths are beautiful form and delicate color. Plan to spra
Crocus Rose is an elegant and understated rose, perfect for those who value subtle beauty in their garden roses.
Pale apricot blooms move towards a beautiful creaminess as the flower ages. The roses are classic cupped old-rose form, to be expected from a garden rose with 40+ petals. Flowers are pretty large – 3″-4″ wide. The fragrance is light and reminiscent of Tea rose.
Crocus Rose was named for the Crocus Trust…an organization dedicated to helping people with cancer.
It has a reputation for being free-flowering. It grows to four feet or so. Foliage is glossy and medium green. David Austin says it is disease resistant, but I grow weary of this description. It is reputedly susceptible to mildew.
I am beginning to think that there are two classes of roses when it comes to disease: Those that need spraying and those that don’t.
In my experience in the Deep South, most David Austin roses need spraying. Bear in mind geography plays an important part in determining how a rose will fare when it comes to resisting diseases such as blackspot and powdery mildew. Due to extremely hot, humid summers, Georgia can be a brutal place to grow roses. I suspect this is why there are so many David Austin roses constantly being tested over at the University of Georgia Botany Department.
Crocus Rose is also known as Emanuel and City of Timaru
It is also known as Emanuel (France) and City of Timaru (New Zealand). Timaru is a port city in New Zealand. I’m not sure why this cultivar has three different names, but I would guess there is a marketing department behind this decision. Does it help customers or confuse them?
I neither keep up with nor care about the marketing strategies of the plant trade, but be aware that there is a code associated with named cultivars of plants. This code helps nurseries and breeders understand the names of roses that (as in the case of Crocus Rose) have been given multiple names for different markets. Crocus Rose’s code is AUSQuest. The International Cultivar Naming Authority handles the registration of new cultivars by administering the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants.
Perhaps you will be interested in seeing the U.S. patent.