Heirloom

JACloom

Hybrid Tea Date Hybridizer

Mauve/mauve blend - 35 petals

Unknown Parentage

ARS rating 6.6

 

Description

Verdict: Excellent - Heirloom has been our bloom champion for years. Way over 200 blooms per flush the last 4 years. Blooms open pretty fast and fade to a purplish brown that isn't very attractive. Deadheading the critter is a chore. Note: Miniature rose Sweet Chariot may have as many blooms as Heirloom but I give Heirloom the size tie breaker. I'm not going to try to count the blooms on that critter either.

Acquired: 1996

Brand:

Bush

Growth habit : 5 to 6 ft tall x 4 ft wide - vigorous rascal that grows fast - bush is pretty symmetric and foliage is thick.

Leaves: 

Disease Resistance: Blackspot is only a problem here on new or stressed plants. Powdery mildew is the main problem and I try to spray the roses that get pm with fungicide every 2 weeks or so when we have cool, dry nights. -- will get pm if not sprayed here. Not a pm magnet but it will show some if I give it long enough.

Hardiness: Very good - survived the no protection years and consistently has the most green canes showing of our hybrid teas.

Blooms

Fragrance: Strong - it is a borderline stinker - with all those blooms it seems like one.... a single bloom placed alone just isn't quite as strong as the real stinkers.

Flushes: God only knows... we tried to count the blooms per flush until around 1999 when the count went over 150 blooms on each tidal wave. The last blooms on the old flush are barely gone before new buds are opening on the next.

Repeat: Good - 5 to 6 weeks - how on earth does a rose that blooms this much have such a short turnaround time??

Vase life: Not long - Deb cuts entire sprays of buds and puts them in bouquets... isn't like we could notice a few sprays missing on the monster.

Silly Stuff

  Deb's second mauve/lavender thangs... I thought it wouldn't survive winter. I planted it next to Lucille Ball because it wouldn't be there the next year. Some rose expert I turned out to be.... actually.... visitors think I planned it pretty well. Heirloom and Lucy make a very attractive pair. Folks think I came up with the combination intentionally.... don't tell them the real story ok?

Deadheading the rascal is a chore that Deb usually takes care of.... she likes to stay near Heirloom when we are deadheading so she has lots of ammo. Our deadheading sessions always turn into rose petal fights and she cheats by hogging all the spent Heirloom blooms.

Forgot to mention the silliest thing.... by the end of the season, Lucy and Heirloom are so large they stick out into they driveway a few feet. I have to fold the right side rear view mirror in on my truck to enter and exit... the crazy things I put up with.

Heirloom at HelpMeFind

Heirloom photos at Gardenbuddies.com