Picking the right rose parents is one of the most important parts of rose breeding. Not every rose makes a good parent. Some roses may look pretty but pass along weak or tricky traits. Others might be strong but don’t share their best features easily.
A great parent rose has strong genes, especially dominant ones that show up clearly in its babies. For example, a rose with bright red petals might pass that color to many seedlings if red is a dominant trait. But if the rose carries a rare color like lavender, that trait might only show up if both parents carry the same gene.
The mother plant (the one that holds the seed) often gives the plant its shape and growth habit, like whether it climbs, stays short, or grows in a bush. The father plant (which provides the pollen) may influence the color and bloom form more strongly. But every cross is different!
Some roses are known as “good breeders.” This means they often pass along their best traits to their children. Roses like ‘Iceberg’ and ‘Knock Out’ are famous for this. They grow well in many places and create strong, easy-to-grow offspring.
Breeders keep careful notes about which parents work best together. They may try hundreds of crosses, but only a few seedlings are special enough to grow into full-size roses. The others are often removed to make space for better ones.
Creating a new rose is a mix of science and art. The right parents give a better chance of success, but sometimes it’s a lucky surprise that becomes the next garden favorite!
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.