Rosa 'Compassion'

Rosa 'Compassion' is a pink-blend climbing rose cultivar developed by Jack Harkness and introduced into Great Britain in 1972. It is considered to be one of the best modern climbers and is a popular selling rose in Britain.

Rosa 'Compassion'
Rosa 'Compassion'
GenusRosa hybrid
Cultivar groupClimbing hybrid tea rose
Marketing names'Compassion', 'Belle de Londres'[1]
BreederJack Harkness
OriginGreat Britain, 1972

History

Harkness Roses

The rose cultivar was developed by Jack Harkness of Harkness Roses (R. Harkness & Co. Ltd) at Hitchin, Hertfordshire. The acclaimed nursery, which continues to sell roses today, was established in 1879 in Bedale, Yorkshire by brothers, John Harkness (1857-1933) and (Robert Harkness (1851-1920). Jack Harkness (1918-1994) is the grandson of the original co-founder John Harkness.[2] The Harkness family nursery grew roses from the beginning, but did not breed roses until 1962 when Jack Harkness began managing the business.[3]

'Compassion'

Harkness developed the rose cultivar by crossing the white, large-flowered climber, 'White Cockade' and the pink Hybrid tea rose, 'Prima Ballerina'. Harkness Roses introduced 'Compassion' into Britain in 1972.[1] It is considered to be one of the best modern climbers and is a popular selling rose in Britain.[4] 'Compassion' has six child plants: Rosa 'City Girl' (Harkness, 1985), Rosa 'High Hopes', Rosa 'Highfield', Rosa 'Loving Lorna', Rosa 'Paul Shirville' , and Rosa 'Rosemary Harkness'.[5]

"When its flowers first open, they are extraordinarily beautiful: a mixture of salmon, pink, apricot, and orange, with pink on the upper sides of the petals. They develop from classic Hybrid tea buds into a pretty, ruffled confection of petals."

— Quest-Ritson, 2003[4]

Description

'Compassion' is a modern climbing tea rose, 5 to 15 ft (1.5–4.6 m) in height with a 4 to 5 ft (1.2–1.5 m) spread. Blooms are large, have an average diameter of 4 in (100 mm), and a petal count of 26 to 40. Bloom color is a blend of salmon, pink, apricot, and orange and fades to off-white as the flowers mature. Scent is strong and fruity. Flowers are carried mostly solitary or in small clusters of up to five and have a classic hybrid tea bloom form. [6]

'Compassion' blooms repeatedly throughout the season. It is very disease resistant and makes an excellent cut flower as well as a garden shrub. It also can be trained as a pillar rose. Foliage is large, dark green and glossy. The plant has many prickles and a dense, upright growth habit. 'Compassion' is known in France as 'Belle de Londres'.[1][4]

References
  1. "Rosa 'Compassion'". National Gardening Plants Database. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  2. "Harkness". Help me find Roses. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  3. Phillips, Roger; Rix, Martin (1993). Quest for the Rose: A Historical Guide to Roses. Random House. ISBN 978-0679435730.
  4. Quest-Ritson, Brigid; Quest-Ritson, Charles (2003). Encyclopedia of Roses. DK Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 978-0756688684.
  5. "Child plants of 'Compassion'". National Gardening Association. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  6. "Rosa 'Compassion'". Help me find roses. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
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