''Rosa'' 'Général Jacqueminot' (pronounced: zhay-nay RHAL zhock-mee-NOH),
also called 'General Jack' or 'Jack Rose',
is an early
Hybrid Perpetual
Garden roses are predominantly 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. An enormous number ...
rose
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
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, ...
, developed by Roussel, an amateur from
Meudon, and introduced by the gardener Rousselet in 1853.
The flower was named in honor of
Jean-François Jacqueminot (1787-1865), a French general of the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
. Its parentage is unclear, but 'Gloire des Rosomanes' and 'Géant des Batailles' are considered probable ancestors.
The large, double flowers are extremely fragrant. Their colour is clear red to deep pink, displaying darker purple hues as they age,
The reverse is paler with occasional white streaking.
The bloom form is globular and high-centered, with 24 to 30 broad
petal
Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...
s with wavy edges,
and an average diameter of .
The flowers develop from pointed, bright scarlet-crimson buds and appear in small clusters of 2 to 3 on long stems in a spring and autumn flush and scattered blooms in between.
The vigorous shrub has many slightly hooked
prickles of different sizes,
and grows to be tall and up to wide. The foliage consists of five oval-round leaflets with a matte surface and a bright mid- to dark green colour.
'Général Jacqueminot' is winter hardy down to −26 °C (
USDA zone 5), but rather 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(OH ...
and
mildew later in summer.
'Général Jacqueminot' quickly gained popularity as garden and as exhibition rose—it was listed among the roses of the Botanical Garden in
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
only five years after its introduction in France
—and was the most commonly cultivated red variety worldwide for about fifty years.
The cultivar also played an important role in hybridising, leaving a host of seedlings and
sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...
, and is an ancestor of most modern red roses. In the 1880s, some cultivars considered very similar were deemed synonyms of 'Général Jacqueminot', even though they are distinct roses. These include 'La Brillante' (Verdier, 1862), 'Mrs. Cleveland' (Gill, 1889), 'Richard Smith' (Verdier, 1861), and 'Triomphe d'Amiens' (Mille-Mallet, 1859), a
sport
Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...
of 'Général Jacqueminot'.
It is the flower of
Theta Tau
Theta Tau () is a professional engineering fraternity. The fraternity has programs to promote the social, academic, and professional development of its members. Today, Theta Tau is the oldest and largest professional engineering fraternity and h ...
professional engineering fraternity,
Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, and
Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi (, AOII, Alpha O) is an international women's fraternity founded on January 2, 1897, at Barnard College on the campus of Columbia University in New York City. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage
"AOI ...
women's fraternity.
References
External links
Général Jacqueminot
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosa 'General Jacqueminot'
General Jacqueminot
1853 introductions