Could someone who knows 'Columbia' very well give me some guidance on how to recognise this rose. The descriptions suggest a bright pink rose with blooms that darken in colour as they age, but none of the photos here show a particularly strong coloured bloom. Do any of the photos show a good likeness of the colour? There are references to 'almost thornless stems'. Is the whole plant almost thornless, or just the flowering stems?
I have a Columbian climber that never climbed. The whole plant is virtually thornless. I counted about 3 prickles. The colour is deep pink. I'll post pics in a moment. (The scent is amazing, incidentally).
I'm not convinced that the specimen at Washington Park is 'Columbia'. The foliage doesn't match any of the numerous mutations from the lineage. And the photos I took and another member took, from that garden, do not match other 'Columbia'. But the other 'Columbia' pics match the mutations from this lineage.
Unsure what we took a photo of, in other words.
But it is really pretty! Whatever it is. Very glossy foliage. Blooms don't seem to fade. A nice, moderate height, with thick canes. Smells good. I cannot comment on disease, as they spray there.
This actually one of the few original HT's that I like. I'd like Picture, too, if it had fewer thorns and mildew.
I like this one because it is seemingly healthy for its class, has an interesting tone, and comes in dramatic proportions and a sturdy, not-sky-towering, plant.
It's magnificent in its climbing form, too, Michael. Ever flowering (here), pretty disease resistant, intensely well scented with large flowers and very few prickles for a climber. Grows well own root, too.
