Area 1C Notes

The plants in this section for which I would particularly appreciate suggestions for correct identities are 1C-001 ‘Betty Sheffield’ and 1C-013 ‘Mrs Anne Marie Hovey’

Most of the plants in this section are quite old and large and were pruned a few years ago. They have grown back to be touching each other, but denser than before, and are not flowering freely.

‘Betty Sheffield’ (1C-001) should be white with pink and red spots and stripes. This may be a solid pink sport of it but the lack of stamens suggests it may be something else entirely.

‘Conspicua’ (1C-006) is a variety surrounded with confusion. The name has been applied to several distinct varieties and this may well be the form generally grown in Britain under this name. There appears to be no American connection.

‘Forest Green’ (1C-007 & 1C-008) is represented by two plants in this section, one old and large, the other young and still small. The older bush has always been shy flowering and sometimes has held unopened buds long into the summer when they eventually drop without opening. It is notable for its very dark, very glossy foliage.

‘Gladys Wannamaker’ (1C-009) does not seem to be a success here or elsewhere in the collection. The blooms become spoiled and browned almost as soon as the buds start to open.

‘Mollie Moore Davis’ (1C-011) is described as having very large blooms. Those on this plant are only 5-7cm across but otherwise seem to match the description.

‘Monte Carlo’ (1C-012) arose as a pink sport of the white ‘Finlandia’. This bush has a branch bearing white flowers which has presumably sported in the reverse direction.

‘Mrs Ann Marie Hovey’, (1C-013) like the plant of the same name at 1G-075, is wrong, in that  the true variety is notable for producing flowers of different colours which this bush does not do.

‘Otome Shibori’ (1C-017) is a variegated form of ‘Otome’ having carmine stripes on a pink background. I have seen no stripes on the blooms on this plant but it is a deeper pink than other plants of ‘Otome’ in the collection. I think this means it has sported to the variety known as ‘Casablanca’.

‘Paulette Goddard’ (1C-018) is described as a very large, red, semi-double; not a good match for this small, rose form flower.