''Rosa'' 'Lilian Austin' is a pink-blend

Shrub rose Garden roses are predominantly Hybrid (biology), hybrid roses that are grown as ornamental plants in private or public gardens. They are one of the most popular and widely cultivated groups of flowering plants, especially in temperate climates. A ...

, developed by British rose breeder and commercial nursery owner, David Austin. The rose was named for Austin's mother, Lilian and was introduced into Britain in 1973.

Description

'Lilian Austin' is a medium-tall shrub rose, in height, with a spread. Blooms are large and cup shaped, with an average of 33 petals; They are borne in clusters of 3–11. Petals are ruffled in appearance. Flowers are initially medium pink with yellow centers when they open, and then fade to rose pink with a cream colored center. The rose has a moderate, fruity fragrance. and has dark green foliage. The shrub has a relaxed growth habit and is often wider than it is tall. 'Lilian Austin' blooms continuously until early winter; It requires spring and winter freeze protection.

History

David Austin roses

David C. H. Austin (1926 – 2018) was an award-winning rose breeder, nursery owner and writer from

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. He began breeding roses in the 1950s with the goal of creating new shrub rose varieties that would possess the best qualities of old-fashioned roses while incorporating the long flowering characteristics of

hybrid tea rose Hybrid tea is an informal horticultural classification for a group of garden roses. The first hybrid tea roses were created in France in the mid-1800s, by cross-breeding the large, floriferous Hybrid Perpetuals with the tall, elegant Tea roses. T ...

s and floribundas. His first commercially successful rose cultivar was 'Constance Spry', which he introduced in 1961. He created a new, informal class of roses in the 1960s, which he named "English Roses". Austin's roses are generally known today as "David Austin Roses". Austin attained international commercial success with his new rose varieties. Some of his most popular roses include 'Wife of Bath' (1969), 'Canterbury' (1969), and 'Abraham Darby' (1985)

'Lilian Austin'

Austin created the rose cultivar, 'Lilian Austin', by crossing the climbing hybrid tea, 'Aloha' with the shrub rose 'Yeoman'. He named the rose his mother, Lilian and introduced the new cultivar in Britain in 1973. 'Lilian Austin' was used to hybridize nine child plants: 'Cymballine', 'English Garden', 'Othello', 'Fisherman's Friend', 'Mortimer Sackler', 'Queen Nefertiti', 'The Countryman' , 'The Reeve' and 'The Prince'.

Notes

Sources

* * {{Rose, state=collapsed Lilian Austin 1973 introductions