''Rosa'' 'Henry Kelsey' is a bright red, Hybrid Kordesii rose cultivar, bred by Canadian rose breeder,

Felicitas Svejda Felicitas Svejda (November 8, 1920 – January 19, 2016) was a federal scientist in Canada who developed roses that could survive Canada's short growing season and bitter winter conditions. She led the rose-breeding program at the Central Experim ...

. It was introduced in Canada in 1984 by

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC; sometimes Ag-Canada; french: Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada)''Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Agriculture ...

. It is one of the tallest of the Canadian Explorer roses that Svejda developed and named in honour of legendary Canadian explorers.

Description

'Henry Kelsey' is a tall, climbing Hybrid Kordesii rose variety, in height, with a spread. It has a high-centered, semi-double cupped bloom form of medium-sized , bright crimson petals with golden

stamens The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

. The rose has a strong, fruity scent. It blooms in medium-sized clusters of 5–15 flowers. The first flowering is profuse and the plant will then flower occasionally throughout the season but in smaller numbers. It is susceptible to blackspot. 'Henry Kelsey' has abundant thorns and prickles and dark green, glossy foliage. In warmer climates, the rose can be grown as a climber, and will reach up to .

History

Felicitas Svejda

Felicitas Svejda was born November 8, 1920, in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. She studied agricultural science at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, where she earned a PhD in 1948. She moved to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

in 1953, and was hired by the Canadian Department of Agriculture's research division in Ottawa, Ontario. Her first project was researching cereal grains, but later began working with ornamental plants. Svejda was given a new project in 1961 to create a series of winter hardy roses, which would thrive in the coldest regions of Canada, with sub-freezing winter temperatures of -50 C, and would also flower regularly during Canada's short growing season. With no prior knowledge of roses, Svejvda developed a successful rose-breeding program at the Central Experimental Farm (CEF) in Ottawa. From the 1960s to the 1980s, she introduced many new cultivars, including 22 roses in the Explorer Rose Series, named in honour of Canadian explorers. Some of her most popular cultivars are: 'John Cabot', 'Alexander MacKenzie', 'David Thompson', and 'Jens Munk'. Svejvda led the rose-breeding program at CEF for 25 years, until her retirement in 1985. Her roses continued to be introduced in Canada well into the 1990s. Svejda died Jan. 19, 2016 in Ottawa at the age 95.

'Henry Kelsey'

Svejda bred 'Henry Kelsey' before 1984 by crossing 'Kordesii' and an 'Unnamed Seedling. The rose cultivar was introduced in Canada in 1984 by

. It is one of the Explorer Roses that Svejda developed to withstand the harsh Canadian winters and thrive in its short growing season. It is named for

Henry Kelsey Henry Kelsey ( – 1 November 1724) was an English fur trader, explorer, and sailor who played an important role in establishing the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada. He is the first recorded European to have visited the present-day provin ...

, the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

fur trader, explorer, and seaman who was instrumental in establishing the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...

in Canada. 'Henry Kelsey' was used to develop one child plant, the large-flowered climber, 'Ramblin Red'.

Notes

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rosa 'Henry Kelsey'

1984 introductions