Abraham Darby (synonyms AUScot, Candy Rain, Country Darby tree) is a popular apricot Shrub rose

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

which was introduced by David Austin in England in 1985. The English rose was bred by crossing the climber 'Aloha' with the floribunda 'Yellow Cushion' and is named after the industrialist Abraham Darby, the constructor of the first iron bridge, which is situated less than 15 km from David Austin's nurseries. The naming happened in collaboration with the

Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is an industrial heritage organisation which runs ten museums and manages multiple historic sites within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site in Shropshire, England, widely considered as the birthplace of ...

'Abraham Darby' is an old-fashioned looking rose with many large, showy flowers with a classic quartered shape in an apricot-pink colour which varies with climate and age. It ranges from soft apricot pink on the inside, pale yellow on the outside in warmer areas to a rich peachy pink with lighter edges in cooler climates. Additionally the colour pales as the flower matures. The cupped flowers have an average diameter of and up to 70 petals. They usually have strong, fruity fragrance, grow in small clusters and appear abundantly throughout the season. As the rather heavy flowers tend to bow their heads, Abraham Darby is suited to be trained as a climber. The cultivar is winter hardy down to −20 °C (

USDA zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

6 – 10b) and generally disease resistant, but can be susceptible to

rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO( ...

. The vigorous plant grows very bushy growing approximately high and wide. It is almost thornless and has glossy, leathery foliage of a medium to dark green colour. Due to its long arching shoots, it can be grown as a freestanding shrub or trained as a climber, if given some support. The cultivar can be used in flower beds, rose borders, landscaping or as container rose in sunny or partially shaded locations, and is well suited as cut flower. 'Abraham Darby' is used as a parent rose and was used to hybridise the cultivars 'Crown Princess Margareta' (1991), 'Golden Celebration' (1992), 'Pat Austin' (1995) and 'Marianne' (2001).

References

Literature

*Austin, David (1992) ''Old Roses and English Roses''

External links

North Carolina State University: ''Rosa'' 'Abraham Darby'Help me Find Roses: 'Abraham Darby'Roses in Australia: 'Abraham Darby'
{{Rose, state=collapsed Abraham Darby 1985 introductions