Fortune's Double Yellow

1845

8 to 15 feet

'Beauty of Glazenwood', 'Gold of Ophir' these flattering names for this rose give an idea of its popularity, even though it is not very cold hardy. Gertrude Jekyll describes its delightful spring performance as "loaded with...glorious loose copper-colored bloom". Seen up close the double flowers are a rich apricot-yellow with a blush of rose or crimson on the outer petals. The vining character of the canes, handsome, apple green foliage and unique color combine to make this one of the most useful of the once-blooming roses. It is extremely thorny, but the rewards of growing this rose are well worth a few pricks and scratches. This is another of the roses discovered by Robert Fortune in his exploration of Chinese gardens.