Climbers
The ability to climb and scramble over the ground or other plants is the only characteristic shared by plants in this category.
Quisqualis pubescens Burm.f.
Quisqualis pubescens is now considered to be a form of Quisqualis indica L. which see. They are kept separate here for convenience. Johnson’s Dictionary describes it as a separate species from Guinea, with orange-red flowers. Don describes the flowers of Q. pubescens as like those of Q. indica.
Rhodochiton atrosanguineum (Zucc.) Rothm.
Frost tender, slender-stemmed climber with long, pendant stalks bearing solitary, tubular, black to reddish-purple flowers with pink or mauve calyces from summer to autumn. To 3m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Rosa ‘Blairii No 2’
Generally considered to be Bourbon rose, it was classified as a Hybrid China by Rivers and Paul and included in this group by Macarthur. A climbing or pillar rose, it has large and distinct rosy, blush flowers and is said to be a reliable repeat flowerer although it never repeat flowers in my garden. To 3.5m. William Paul described it as one of the largest roses and one of the freest growers, often obtaining 10-12 feet in one season. [Paul (1848, 1863, 1888, 1903), Gard Chron. 1847].
Rosa ‘Fortune's double yellow’
Usually classified as a Tea rose, ‘Fortune's Double Yellow’ is a very free-flowering, small climber or pillar rose, very prickly, with medium-sized, loosely double flowers which can vary from primrose yellow to apple-blossom pink on the same plant. A beautiful rose, in my garden its flowers tend more towards pink.
Rosa ‘Fortuneana’
‘Fortuneana’ is a rampant climber with scented, double white flowers, as large as those of Aimeé Vibert.. [Rivers (1854, 1857, 1863), Paul (1888, 1903), Amat].
Rosa ‘Jaune Deprez’
Noisette rose. A vigorous climber with apricot-yellow flowers and a reliable repeat-flowerer. In my garden the pink tones predominate and it scarcely warrants the name ‘yellow’.
Rosa ‘Liesis’
Noisette rose. Its flowers are pale yellow with deeper centres, large and full, form cupped, very hardy and, according to William Paul, writing in The Gardeners’ Chronicle, useful for a weeper, wall or greenhouse. He considered it one of the best roses. Rivers described it as a bright yellow Noisette Rose quite worthy of culture. [Paul (1863, 1888), Rivers (1863), Gard. Chron. p.461/1863].
Rosa ‘River’s Musk’
A cultivar of Rosa moschata Mill. raised by Thomas Rivers from Italian seed is an abundantly blooming rose with small, fragrant flowers of a rosy buff colour. [Rivers (1854, 1857, (1863), Paul (1848, 1888, 1903)].
Rosa ‘Rose Edouard’
Catherine Gore describes the ‘Isle de Bourbon rose’ as having long, divergent stems, very crooked thorns, and middle-sized, cup-shaped, semi-double or double flowers of a brilliant deep pink. The ‘Rose Edouard’ in my garden exactly corresponds to this description, with flowers of a rich, glowing pink, somewhat similar in colour to its ‘Parson’s Pink’ parent, but much brighter. It has an upright habit with very lax and thorny stems, flowers continuously from early spring to late autumn, with large flushes at these seasons, but somewhat prone to bud drop in damp weather. Mrs Gore doesn’t mention its beautiful perfume.
Rosa arvensis Willd. var. flore pleno
Rosa arvensis flore pleno is most likely a double, so-called Ayrshire form of the ‘Field Rose’, although from the information provided it is not possible to identify it further. ‘Branches four or five yards long when led over a trellis, and therefore well suited for covering arbours, smooth, but armed here and there with hooked prickles. Leaves generally consisting of five, sometimes only three, very rarely seven leaflets, which are ovate, acute, sharply serrate, the terminal one larger than the rest: petiole armed with a few curved prickles, otherwise smooth. Stipules semisagittate conjoined. Flowers in terminal corymbs. Peduncles covered with glandular hairs, with two or three lanceolate, entire, pellucid bractes at the base of each. Germen oval, smooth; segments of the calyx entire, awned, a little hairy. Petals white, obcordate. In these characters we cannot find any thing to distinguish this plant from Rosa arvensis; the extraordinary length of the branches being probably solely owing to culture. It has been known some years in our Nurseries, under the name of the Ayrshire Rose, but upon what grounds it has been so called is difficult to say, for upon the strictest enquiry, as we are informed by Sir Joseph Banks, no Rose of the kind could be heard of there or in any part of Scotland.’ [BM t.2054/1819]. The double field rose is probably very similar to Rosa arvensis ‘Splendens’, still available today. This is a vigorous climber with dark green leaves and purple-red buds opening to loosely-formed, cupped, double, myrrh-scented, pale creamy-pink flowers in summer.
Rosa banksiae R.Br. var. banksiae
Gore describes its flowers as extremely small, very double, white, scented with violets. Almost certainly synonymous with Paul’s White Banksian rose. [Gore, Paul (1848, 1863, 1888, 1903), Rivers (1854, 1857, 1863), BR f.397/1819, Amat].
Rosa banksiae R.Br. var. lutea
Rosa Banksiae lutea is a vigorous climber with long, smooth, thornless stems and small leaves composed of up to 7 leaflets, and numerous clusters of rosette-shaped double yellow flowers, to 2cm across, in spring and early summer. To 10m or more. [Paul (1848, 1863, 1888, 1903), Rivers (1854, 1857, 1863), Willmot, BR f.1105/1827].
Rosa banksiae R.Br. var. normalis
The single white form is now known as Rosa banksiae normalis and bears fragrant, single white flowers. [Paul (1848, 1863, 1888)].
Rosa bracteata ‘Lucida duplex’
Probably a variety or cultivar of Rosa bracteata Wendl. In The Gardeners’ Chronicle of 1841 Rosa ‘Lucida duplex’, seen at Woods and Son’s Nursery, Woodlands, Maresfield, is described as a Bracteata rose, with fine, large, double white flowers with glossy foliage. In 1851 ‘Lucida duplex’ was described as a Macartney rose, further strengthening this claim to identity. It was strongly recommended as a continuous bloomer. William Paul also describes a double form or hybrid of the Macartney Rose which he calls Rosa lucida duplex. The large full flowers are pure white with a rosy flush in the centre, and with glossy foliage, sounding much like the rose seen at Woods’ Nursery. A coloured plate is included in the 9th edition. [Paul (1848, {1888, 1903]. This sounds very much like Gore’s ‘Double Macartney Rose’, Rosa bracteata flore pleno, the flowers of which she describes as pinkish white.
Rosa bracteata Wendl.
Rosa bracteata is an evergreen climber with leathery, evergreen leaves and neat, single flowers of pure white with prominent yellow stamens, comfortably growing to 4m. [RHSD].
