***The Earliest Noisettes, 2***
BCD
by Brent C. Dickerson
Copyright 2000 Brent C. Dickerson
[Second Segment]
Prevost fils, however, has meantime given us in 1829 the description of
both the class (quoted above) and the particular rose. Comparing it to
'Blush Noisette', "this rose differs from the preceding by the following
characteristics: Epidermis*, purplish. *Leaflets* and *stipules* narrower or
longer. *Corolla*, larger, with higher color, more single, slightly
fragrant." But 'Champneys' Pink Cluster' was beginning to be replaced by
newer Noisettes. Vibert had dropped it by 1831; we do not find it in Sisley
1835, Laffay 1841, Guillot 1844, Miellez 1853 . . . Thierry records it as
"semi-double" and "flesh" in 1835. Boitard--obviously with Prevost fils'
book at his elbow--adds a bit of his own in 1836: " . . . five to seven oval
acute leaflets, crenelate, green above, pale beneath."
'Champneys' Pink Cluster' had always been overshadowed by its child,
Philippe Noisette's rose, which we have come to call 'Blush Noisette',
though, early on, one sees it as such as 'Belle Noisette', 'Carnee', or most
often just as *the* Noisette (further notes on the name will be found in the
appendix). It is simply as 'Rose Noisette' that LeRouge describes it in
1819. "This rose originated in the United States, and bears the name of
Monsieur Noisette because it was sent to him by the brother of that
celebrated grower, who dedicated it to him, and who first found it in
southern America. Its stem grows from eight to ten feet high. The Noisette
rose is notable for the profusion of its buds, which are colored pink before
opening--it comes close to the Multiflora rose by the abundance of its
flowers--and by its Musk rose stature. It could be considered a sort of
China rose. This rose is nearly thornless. Its leaves for the most part are
of seven obtuse, crenelate leaflets. Its flowers, of the size of those of
the Musk rose, are white lightly nuanced with pink, double, and arranged in
strong panicles. It is delicate and requires a temperate house . . . ;
however, let us not despair of acclimating it to the open air by the simple
means of wrapping it in straw, if grafted. It is propagated by grafting very
low, shield-grafting the new shoots, cuttings in a frame, and graft."
In 1820, Thory mentions "The Rose of Ph. Noisette . . . which is not yet
affirmed to be a species because it is not known if it reproduces from seed,
being a hybrid between the China rose and the Musk (*R. moschata*)," and
compares it to the Boursault rose. He had already given a much longer entry
on it to accompany Redoute's beloved plate of it in *Les Roses*: "Superb
*shrub* 2.4-3 meters high; *canes* glabrous; *prickles* fairly strong,
slightly hooked, reddish on the flowering branches, brown on the adult
stems. *Leaflets* 5-7, acute ovate, rarely obtuse, simply and finely
crenulate, glabrous, green above, paler beneath; petioles villose, with many
small recurved prickles sometimes extending up to the midrib of the odd
leaflet; stipules acute, denticulate, gland-edged. *Flowers* lateral and
terminal, (1-) 3-6, often grouped in panicles of up to 130, opening
successively, the first out being larger than those of the Musk Rose, the
others about the same size, very sweetly scented; peduncles, elongate
pedicels, and ovoid *receptacles* shortly and densely wooly; *sepals* 2
entire, 3 pinnate, acute wooly within, gland-edged; *petals* 7-8-seriate,
white flushed pink, a little yellowish towards the base, irregularly
notched; *styles* free; *stigmas* a little reddish. This was produced by
Philippe Noisette, one of the most skilful North American nurserymen, and
propagated in France by his brother Louis Noisette. Our specimen came from
his choice collection where it bloomed in 1818. We consider it a hybrid of
*R. moschata* and *R. chinensis*, with which it shares the foliage, flower
disposition, and season. However, the former is distinguished by its
coherent styles and smaller, pure white flowers; the latter by its reflexed
sepals, long tortuous stamens bent inwards over the styles, and continuous
flowering. Seed raising may show us if it will breed true and constitute a
new species. It blooms abundantly from July up to frost, and a young
specimen was frost-hardy in 1820, although we took the precaution of
covering it with leaves. When acclimated, it will be an ornament to our
gardens, above all for the perfume which is as good as that of the
*Centifolia*, though different."
The *Bon Jardinier* of 1824 seemingly mixes up the histories of
'Champneys' Pink Cluster' and 'Blush Noisette'--all the more curious because
its editors-in-chief were Vilmorin and Louis Noisette himself! Here is the
entry, with some glances at other developments: "This charming rose--which,
sad to state, someone has classified with the China rose--was grown from
seed by the brother of Monsieur Noisette in the United States of America, by
emasculating the Musk rose and fertilizing it with pollen from the China
rose applied with a paint-brush upon its pistils. It must be said that this
rose has much more in common with its mother the Musk rose than with the
China rose. The bouquets of flowers, both numerous and pretty, with which it
is covered during eight months of the year develop like those of the Musk
rose; its ovaries are of the same form, and its styles are collected into a
column like theirs. Contrarily, in the China rose, the styles are free for
their whole length. Monsieur Noisette received from his brother three new
Noisette roses, one with large red flowers and a bush larger in all its
parts [*evidently never named or released*]. Monsieur Hardy, director of the
Luxembourg's garden's raised this rose [*meaning, evidently, a Noisette-type
rose*] with single flowers from seeds of the Musk rose. Monsieur Vibert got
a dwarf one with little double flowers from crops from the Sempervirens,
probably fertilized by the stamens of the Noisette rose." We see, then,
that, by 1824, breeding was already well underway! But let us return to
'Blush Noisette'. Despite the assurance with which William R. Prince
reported the origin of 'Blush Noisette', we must ponder well whether to
credit his story or rather that which its breeder's brother edited for the
*Bon Jardinier*--was the parent 'Champneys' Pink Cluster', or did Philippe
Noisette repeat the cross which Champneys had made? It may be a question
which will never be answered.
Here is all Louis Noisette had to tell us in 1826 in a book of his own:
"Sent from America by Philippe Noisette, my brother, in 1814. Shrub of four
to six feet, with branches of a brownish green; thorns strong, sparse,
hooked; leaves fairly close-set, of a bright green, ordinarily of seven
oval-acute leaflets, glabrous, finely and sharply dentate, glossy above,
pale beneath, with villose, prickly petioles; flowers medium-sized,
numerous, double, flesh-colored; petals entire; exhaling an agreeable
scent." The same year, Pirolle reports, with a momentary error, "small
numerous flowers, sometimes in panicles, sometimes in bouquets, is a hybrid
of the Multiflora and the China, which it evidences in its property of
blooming several times; it's a very pretty ornamental plant for borders and
vases."
Desportes, in 1828, lists synonyms--'Belle Noisette', 'Commun',
'Noisettiana', 'Rose de Philippe Noisette', 'Vulgaris'--and, for
description, contents himself with "white, washed with pink." Prevost fils
gives us his usual thoroughgoing entry under 'Rose Noisette'--'Noisette
Carnee': "*Bush*, of great vigor. *Canes*, flexuose, very smooth. *Thorns*,
large and strong. *Leaflets*, close-set, oval, acute, or ovoid acuminate,
and of an agreeable green. *Ovary*, ovoid-fusiform. *Flower*, medium-sized,
regular, very multiplex, flesh. *Styles*, 20 to 40, glabrous. This beautiful
rose, the Type of the species, originated in southern America. Monsieur
Philippe Noisette, horticulturist at Charleston, after having raised it and
propagated it, sent it to France in 1816. At least, that's the year--in
March--that I received and looked after two own-root specimens which he sent
to the late Monsieur Jacques Durand, then a businessman at Rouen. One of
these two specimens is still at Monsieur Lendormi's, a fancier, at Rouen."
[to be continued]
Best Wishes,
--BCD.
Web Site: http://www.csulb.edu/~odinthor