Julia Child yellow turns pink

9 years ago

Julia Child rose is bred to be a yellow rose and has been yellow in my garden for about 7 years. This year the blooms came out pink . . a light slightly coral tinge but definitely pink. I'm in No. Calif. Anyone have experience with this kind of thing?

Featured Answer

john_ca

9 years ago

In the cooler temperatures that we experience during the winter months, the petals of some roses do turn pink. I have seen several flowers on Litchfiield Angel, normally a creamy white, turn pale pink in the past week. When I grew the hybrid musk Prosperity, I saw pink flowers in late winter/early spring-when warmer temperatures returned, the flowers were all white. One of my orange roses is also producing pinkish-orange flowers. The cooler temperatures also seem to increase bloom size and petal count.

I believe that the change is color is due to increased production of anthocyanin, a red pigment, in cooler temperatures. I expect that the flower color will return to the usual color when temperatures warm up.

John

Comments (11)

bellarosa
9 years ago
I'm not in CA, but was wondering if it has something to do with your soil. Did you add anything different to it? Just guessing here. I'm sure others from your area can chime in.
wirosarian_z4b_WI
9 years ago
I checked on HMF.com & Julia Child has no sports listed. That is one possibility, however this is usually only one or 2 canes, not the entire bush. The other possibility that I've seen is yellow roses under stressed or abnormal weather or environmental conditions sometimes tend to develop peach, pink, orange or red tones.
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jjpeace (zone 5b Canada)
9 years ago
Maybe it is a mutation? Collect the seeds and see if the sports will be the new colour? Could be a new discovery. Since JC is such a good rose, imagine the potential sports or mutation it will produce. Contact the original rose breeder?

Sorry, my imagination runs wild sometimes but I am excited for you.
diane_nj 6b/7a
9 years ago
It isn't the seeds to collect. The OP would want to take cuttings from the cane(s) with the pink roses and attempt to root them in order to see if it really is a "sport".

Seeds would result in something else entirely. :-)
jjpeace (zone 5b Canada)
9 years ago
That's interesting Diane. I always thought "the mutation or sports" would be in the seeds as well while cuttings is the faster way to grow it.
mustbnuts zone 9 sunset 9
9 years ago
Is your plant own root or on root stock? Could be the rootstock coming through.
jerijen
9 years ago
JJPeace -- Diane's right.

A rose grown from a seed -- a "seedling" -- is a completely different rose, both from the parents, and from each other.

It is a NEW rose -- different from every other rose.

You are the "seedling" of your parents.

In you, their genes are combined in a unique way. Each of your siblings is also a unique "seedling" of your parents -- different from them, and different from you.

The pedigrees of modern roses are incredibly complex, so each new seedling will be different, both from each other, and from the parents.

Jeri
dan_keil_cr Keil
9 years ago
A cutting would be the only way to see if was a true sport
Dan Keil
ARS Q&A
jjpeace (zone 5b Canada)
9 years ago
Thanks Jerijen, Diane & Dan. It make a lot of sense Jeri after you explain it in that perspective. I guess I never thought about genetics in plants. I only think about it in human terms. I guess I took it for granted. I always assume that the seedlings would be "similar" in appearance to the parents and would inherit any mutations as well. I guess in modern terms, cuttings would be its "clone" if you want the exact plant. Makes perfect sense now. It makes more sense now after many readings that refer to when hybridists wanted to "create" new plants through its "seedlings" by pollination. Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.
frenchcuffs13
9 years ago
BobbieJay, if it stays Pink and subsequent blooms on that branch are pink as well, CLONE IT. You may have a sport.
If it goes back to yellow, enjoy her as she is.