By whichever name it is called, it is one of my favorite roses. I have a young bush in my garden, here in W. PA, but in a large public rose garden not far from me, there used to be some magnificent, mature MBs. I say used to be, because they were brutally dug out with no intention of saving or moving them to make way for hybrid teas a couple years ago.

These beauties were 15+ years old at the time of their destruction. Due to being grafted on multiflora rootstock (I was there when they were first planted, purchased from Pickering, Canada), I believe they developed a rather impressive trunk. It was about 5" in diameter, actually had bark on it, and started branching at about 10" from the ground. The trunk was not the multiflora rootstock, but Marchesa Bocella since Pickering's rootstocks are only about an inch or two long, due to using expert Belgian grafters for all their grafting, unlike the sloppy US grafters who make 6-8+" rootstocks putting the roots too low in the soil, IMHO. No basal growth ever came forth from these MBs and as they matured they looked more and more like miniature crab apple trees! I do not expect mine to grow a trunk, but time will tell.

In W. PA they maxed out at about 4' tall, and 2 1/2' wide, rather vertical in growth habit as is mine at home which is on its own roots and not grafted. Yous may get considerably larger there in Texas. I have seen MB in another public garden grow rather lax and sprawling in habit, but this could be due to less than ideal cultural practices like growing in too much shade.

The foliage is somewhat limp looking which is not an indication it needs watering. This habit is natural for MB.

The flowers med./lt. pink color gets lighter in hot weather, as well as the flower size diminishing from the heat. Quartered (rather, fifths instead of fourths), petal segments are seen as the flower opens. Mine blooms all summer, usually in tight bunches of up to five buds, so be careful deadheading so that consecutive buds are not removed with the deadhead. MB's flowers are short necked with the foliage beginning right below the flower. Some people consider this an undesirable trait, but I find it part of this rose's charm, as it if is trying to hide the flower from anyone who is not willing to search it out, making the effort well worth it. The scent is heavenly.

MB takes to heavy pruning in the spring very nicely, and is really one of the most manageable OGRs there is, unlike some OGRs that must be left to "do their own thing."

As far as disease and insect problems, this rose is one of the most dependable and toughest roses around. Getting BS with out any spraying only very late in the season, or under very severe growing conditions, like this year's miserable conditions locally, for example. Mine should rebound very well once cooler weather comes after mid-September.

That's about all on Marchesa Bocella. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.

The big ID clue for this one is the buds. They should look like a bug bit the end off for a day or two before they open.

This is one tough rose. Mine started life in one of those wicker
shopping carts (carrying on the old lady theme ) where it stayed a decent size for several years but always looked so pitiful. I popped it in a galvanised dustbin for another couple of years (where the roots got regularly boiled) until guilt made me finally plant it at the allotment (it was the first one I planted there)
In truth, I don't really like it much - it is not a graceful rose by any means and I have been scared to lavish love and care on it because my allotment neighbour has one (I will take a photo, even though it is between bloom cycles) which is immense. Like some gnarly old oak, it is easily 4m high and wide (it looks even more gigantic because she has a titchy tiny little De Meaux next to it (well underneath, practically). It definitely has a trunk, Thorntorn(great name). I think the ridiculously short petioles and the very congested foliage also bug me a bit. I am useless at this sort of ID but MB/JC is a distinctive rose (and yep, pretty lax - mine is lolling drinkenly on the brassica frame. Whilst the main cane is trunk like, all the branching laterals keep a ropy flexibility, like wisteria.

Rogue sells Jacques Cartier and Marchesa Bocella as two different roses, JC listed as Portland / Moreau-Robert and MB as Hybrid Perpetual / Desprez.

Has anyone purchased these roses from either source and if so could you describe what you have, and perhaps offer opinions relative to the debate of which rose is which?

Mauvegirl, do you mind saying where you purchased your rose?

Thanks,
Di

Cath

Back in the late 1980's, we ordered 'Marchesa Boccella' from Hortico. The plant came, and was planted, and grew vigorously.

It bloomed, but MAN! It KEPT growing vigorously. It grew long, lax canes which went up, arched over, and trailed along the ground, in a vine-like fashion.

I described it to Syl Arena, and on one of his trips down here, he stopped by to see it -- and got to experience its nasty habit of wrapping itself around the ankles of un-wary passers-by.

Syl thought, and I agreed, that the bloom sure looked like Marchesa -- but the plant was something quite else.

We finally dug her up, because she really wasn't garden-friendly -- so I don't know whatthehell she was -- other than strange. But it does go to show, there are some things around in the Old Rose world that are flat strange.

Jeri