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This rose has no listed progeny, and indeed in only one reference is there any mention of hips at all - I have certainly never seen any hip set on my plant. However, as the flowers looked so inviting this year (2020), and as I was in a mad pollinating phase back in May and June, I decided to try different roses' pollen on Celestial to see what might happen.
Most of my few crosses failed fairly early on after pollination, but one (using pollen from R. Gallica Officinalis), much to my surprise, successfully set and ripened, and I took the hip from the plant in September (see pics in the photos of the hip just before I removed it) and extracted the seed. There were 5 seed in total, 3 of which were definitely fertile using the water test, whilst the other two were not definitely infertile, so as this was such an unusual cross I planted all the seed together in one pot.
We will have to wait and see what happens, but as this cross has worked and produced viable seed, I'm going to try many more crosses on it next year using pollen from various different types, to see whether there is any pattern as to what will and will not work with Celestial when using it as a seed parent.
Edit, update as of 25/8/21 - 3 of the seed from this cross germinated, and two have survived so far. They seem pretty healthy, if somewhat lacking in vigour. We will see what they can achieve.
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Hi there thebig-bear, any results yet? My Celeste has now spent 4 seasons in the company of a small collection of other Old Roses, including Gallica, Centifolia, and Damask. No hips whatsoever. So it looks like it really needs Mr Right as a pollinator. What else have you tried? Also very interested in negative results, so I won't retry those. Greetings, ruebenmaxe
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Hello reubenmaxe, thank you for your question.
The short answer is yes and no. The original two seedlings from the Celeste x R. Gallica Officinalis cross did not survive. They were very weak, and didn't grow much above about a couple of inches/ 5 cms.
I have since grown a seedling from Celeste x La Belle Sultane, and that is growing a little better, although it is still only about 6 inches high, and not very vigorous, but it is still alive after 2 or 3 years (progress!), and keeps regrowing with new leaves, and also a second stem this year, so fingers crossed it might (eventually!) come to something. From what little in the way of characteristics there are to be picked up from observing it, I would say that it resembles both parents pretty much 50/50, with the leaf shape and texture more akin to La Belle Sultane, but with the colour edging towards that of Celeste's foliage. Prickles (shape and amount) are much more like Celeste.
The main problem seems to have been that, even when the hip has set (and it now does seem to set hips at least semi-regularly, with even the odd OP hip forming), the seed doesn't have a good germination rate. But it seems that at least some will work, so it is probably worth persevering with, if you have the time and space to do lots of crosses. As to what works and doesn't work, I will have to get back to you on that, as I will need to access my notes. I will try and do that a little later on.
I am definitely going to keep trying with her, as I think she is well worth the effort if offspring are indeed possible to some degree. It just seems to be a case of finding what works, as you suggest. I am also trying her as a pollen parent, but with no seedlings thus far. Watch this space.
Hope this helps.
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p.s. Have you had a look at my journal via my profile page? There are some notes I made on the crosses I did on Celeste the following year, ie 2021.
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My two Stanwells are now in their 4th season and basically eating my fence. But that was the idea :), so I'm very happy. Right now my shrubs share the fence with a few runaway vines of Clematis viticella in dark purple. A perfect match! For the Stanwell I recommend hard pruning in early spring. Prune too gently (or not at all), it makes weaker and weaker branches and twigs that will no longer carry the weight of the flowers. After hard pruning it comes back very strong. Although it is often listed as a two-timer, after a strong first bloom in late May, mine goes on and on with some ups and downs but never stops entirely, until the first frost and even beyond. I have given up deadheading it, it comes back all the same. Hips are rare, usually dry up soon. The color of the flowers varies. In cool weather they are a deeper pink that keeps longer. In hot weather and when flowers get older, they become more of a creamy white. As in the typical damask, fragrance is overwhelming in the early morning, then ebbing out until in the evening it's barely noticeable. Cut buds will open well in the vase. Although the flowers are quite short-lived on the shrub, when you cut buds they will keep for 2-3 days.
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Leda gets quite a bit of rust in the spring. Of all our old roses, only two get rust: Spong, and Leda. If caught early, it can be removed for the season by clipping all the affected parts, mostly leaves and leaf stems. Will not come back until next spring.
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Huge! Our specimen is trained as a climber, basically swallowing the carport. Took two seasons to establish, then took off and now it's out of control :D This one does not typically produce proliferating flowers. Super-healthy. We keep a collection of old roses, two of which have never had one single spot: Ispahan, and Erinnerung an Brod. The colors are totally unique and just unbelievable. One single bloom may have brilliant red around the green eye, then the main body in deep purple, and the outer petals show a mystical, grey-ish mauve. Just WOW. This season 2024, the first bud opened on May 12. Today on June 7, in spite of the endless rain we've had, it's still going strong. Has a lot of buds in the pipeline. If you have room for one very strong climber, I totally recommend this rose.
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