Rosa ‘Excelsa’.
A hybrid of Rosa wichuraiana and a rambler it was released in Australia in 1911.
Rosa wichuraiana, also known as R. lucieae var. lucieae, is the Memorial Rose.
They are a spreading shrub or a climber to 6 m with single white flowers and red hips.
R. excelsa is a rambler up to 5 or 6 m high by nearly 4 m wide.
The long flexible stems have many deciduous leaves.
Inflorescences are large dense clusters of semi-double to fully double flowers.
Rosette type flowers, up to around 3.5 cm cross have irregularly arranged overlapping petals of different sizes.
Petals are cerise with a white base and become crimson or more red as they age.
They flower once a year but for a long time.
They are also seen as ‘Red Dorothy Perkins’ and ‘Camp Inn Rambler’.
J.F.
