QBARS - v9n1 Cover

Cover
P. H. Brydon

R. 'Grenadier' was introduced in 1939 by the late Lionel de Rothschild and it received a First Class Certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1943. As was the custom of this eminent plant breeder, the parents were carefully selected so that among their offspring there might appear a hybrid which would fulfill certain definite requirements. In R. 'Grenadier' it is evident that the best qualities of both parents have been obtained. From 'Moser's Maroon' a certain amount of hardiness, deep green foliage and a lateness of blooming is apparent. The striking red color and the fleshy substance of the flowers is contributed by the other parent, R. elliottii . It would appear that Mr. Rothschild used the Kingdon Ward form of R. elliottii which has crimson scarlet flowers, rather than the type which is rosy purple.

R. 'Grenadier' belongs to a distinctive clan of late blooming deep reds. Its nearest relative is R. 'Romany Chal' ('Moser's Maroon' x R. eriogynum ) which blooms a little later but is very similar and also received an F.C.C., 'Dusky Maid' ('Moser's Maroon' x R. discolor ) and 'Queen of Hearts' ('Moser's Maroon' x R. meddianum ) are two late flowering reds which promise to be hardier than either 'Grenadier' or 'Romany Chal'.

The color illustration on the front of the Bulletin is fairly true and some idea of the actual size may be obtained by the fact that each flower is 3½ inches in diameter. In Salem this hybrid blooms during late May and early June and stands quite a bit of sun, although the flowers will last much longer if the plant is in semi-shade. My guess would be that R. 'Grenadier' will eventually become a medium to large shrub of compact habit with an ultimate height of about 8 feet.