Hybrid Tea

Hybrid Tea is a cultivar group of roses, created by cross-breeding two different types of roses, initially by hybridising Hybrid Perpetuals with Tea roses. It is the oldest cultivar group classified as a modern garden rose.

Hybrid teas exhibit traits midway between both parents, being hardier than the often quite tender teas (although not as hardy as the hybrid perpetuals), and more inclined to repeat-flowering than the somewhat misleadingly-named hybrid perpetuals (if not quite as ever-blooming as the teas).

Hybrid tea flowers are well-formed with large, high-centred buds, supported by long, straight and upright stems. Each flower can grow to 8-12.5 cm wide. Hybrid Teas are the world's most popular type of rose[1] by choice due to their color and flower form. The fact that their flowers are usually borne singly at the end of long stems, makes them popular as cut flowers.

Most hybrid tea bushes tend to be somewhat upright in habit, and reach between 0.75 and 2.0 metres in height, depending on the cultivar, growing conditions and pruning regime.

Contents

History

The birth of the world's first hybrid tea is generally accepted[2] to have been 'La France' in 1867. It was raised by Jean-Baptiste Guillot, a French nurseryman.[3] He did it by hybridising a Tea rose, supposedly 'Madame Bravy,' with a Hybrid Perpetual, supposedly 'Madame Victor Verdier,' hence 'hybrid tea.'

Other early cultivars were 'Lady Mary Fitzwilliam' (Bennett 1883), 'Souvenir of Wootton' (John Cook 1888) and 'Mme. Caroline Testout', introduced by Pernet-Ducher in 1890.

Hybrid tea roses did not become popular until the beginning of the 20th century, when Pernet-Ducher in Lyons, France, bred the cultivar 'Soleil d'Or' (1900).[4]

But the cultivar that made Hybrid Teas the most popular class of garden rose of the 20th century was the rose 'Peace', introduced by Francis Meilland at the end of World War II and one of the most popular rose cultivars ever.

Most hybrid tea cultivars are not fully hardy in continental areas with very cold winters (below -25C). This, combined with their tendency to be stiffly upright, sparsely foliaged and often not resistant to diseases, has led to a decline in hybrid tea popularity among gardeners and landscapers in favor of lower-maintenance "landscape" roses. The hybrid tea remains the standard rose of the floral industry, however, and is still favored in small gardens in formal situations.

Propagation

This is usually done by budding, a technique that involves grafting buds from a parent plant onto strongly growing rootstocks. One type of such rootstocks is R. multiflora.

Hybrid tea cultivars bred in continental areas (e.g. Canada) tend to be hardier than those hailing from more maritime regions (e.g. New Zealand)

Types of hybrid teas

Fragrant hybrid teas

(Most fragrant ones)

Red hybrid teas

Pink hybrid teas

Orange, Coral and Apricot hybrid teas

Yellow hybrid teas

White hybrid teas

Lavender hybrid teas

Multicoloured hybrid teas

References

  1. ^ D.G. Hessayon, The Rose Expert, Mohn Media Mohndrunk, p. 9
  2. ^ "La France: Hybrid Tea Rose". RoseGathering.com. http://www.rosegathering.com/lafrance.html. Retrieved 2009-09-18. 
  3. ^ "Guillot". HelpMeFind.com. http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/bd.php?n=1041. Retrieved 2009-09-18. 
  4. ^ D.G. Hessayon, The Rose Expert, Mohn Media Mohndrunk, p. 9
  5. ^ "PlantFiles: Hybrid Tea Rose, Rosa 'Neptune'". Dave's Garden. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/77315/. Retrieved 2010-05-25. 
  6. ^ "PlantFiles: Hybrid Tea Rose, Rosa 'The 777 Rose'". John Scearce. http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.22471.1. Retrieved 2011-08-18. 
  7. ^ "PlantFiles: Hybrid Tea Rosa, Rosa 'Black Baccara'". Dave's Garden. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/96707/. Retrieved 2010-05-25. 
  8. ^ "PlantFiles: Detailed information on Hybrid Tea Rose Rosa 'Duet'". Dave's Garden. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/64602/. Retrieved 2010-06-10. 
  9. ^ User:Paulwhwest. "PlantFiles: Hybrid Tea Rose, Rosa 'Memoriam'". Dave's Garden. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/72625/. Retrieved 2008-10-23. 
  10. ^ "PlantFiles: Detailed information on Hybrid Tea Rose Rosa 'Voodoo'". Dave's Garden. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55368/. Retrieved 2010-06-10. 
  11. ^ "PlantFiles: Hybrid Tea Rose, Rosa 'Helen Hayes'". Dave's Garden. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/137988. Retrieved 2010-05-25.