I think your comments hint at a problem that I fear may be widespread--that someone sees a rose/finds it and believes it looks like a particular historical rose and thus declares it is that rose. Then the rose enters commerce, maybe *multiple* roses enter commerce through different channels, as that historical rose and then we have a mess. Which rose(s) have good provenance and which don't? Which are found roses that only bear a slight resemblance to an old rose? Which nurseries got their stock from a source that can be traced all the way back to the breeder, and which ones have major gaps in their provenance?

It may come to pass that some actually prefer a rose as a "better clone" to what a different nursery has, when in fact that "better clone" isn't even the rose it is supposed to be!

Melissa

I have been growing Benny Lopez for 3 years now. The first year in full sun he got a lot of rust. I moved him into partial shade the next year and no rust since. I have never seen any mildew on him and the pressure here is high. Ardoisee de Lyon on the other hand is supposed to be susceptible to mildew. That and your photo of the leaves (which don't look the same to me either) suggests that Benny Lopez is unlikely to be Ardoisee de Lyon.

Melissa

I've got this rose, but it will be a while before it puts on a show like this! Beautiful. And really nice to see an aussie breeder so honoured all the way across the Pacific.