Zanthan Gardens
Plant Highlights: Rose "Scott’s Ruston"

April 25th, 2006
Rose "Scott’s Ruston"

2006-04-21. Austin, TX. Scott’s Ruston rose looks very similar to ‘New Dawn’ below.


2006-04-21. New Dawn. See how the petals curl back from the center giving it a pointed, modern shape?

My “Scott’s Ruston” rose is a bit of a mystery. I bought it from Barton Springs Nursery in 2001, but I’ve never been able to find a reference to it in any book or online. Something about the label made me think it is a found rose.

In Australia, the David Ruston Rose Centre is home to the National Rose Collection of Australia. (I suspect from all those capital letters, it’s an official collection.) Apparently they have 4000 varieties of roses, but they don’t provide a list, so I can’t find out if one of them is named “Scott”.

“Scott’s Ruston” is very similar to ‘New Dawn’ which makes me wonder if it is a sport. The flowers are the same shape and color, but the petals on “Scott’s Ruston” seem to have a more rounded edge. They both open flat and fade to the palest pink. I can’t rule out the possibilty that both these roses are ‘Ne. Dawn’ roses and that “Scott’s Ruston” was mislabled at the nursery.

2006-04-23. The same instance of “Scott’s Ruston” rose after it opened. Cooler weather after the rain this week meant the roses looked nice for a couple of days each.

“Scott’s Ruston” is less vigorous than ‘New Dawn’, but that might just be because I planted it in an unfortunately shady spot under a cedar elm tree. In the same amount of time, ‘New Dawn’ has clambered all over the fence and is broaching a Texas mountain laurel, while “Scott’s Ruston” is just starting to arch over the fence.

After more than four years, “Scott’s Ruston” might finally have settled in. This year half a dozen roses opened at once.

Does anyone else grow this rose?

by M Sinclair Stevens