'Demon' is an internal breeder code for 'MEIdomonac'
Bonica is a triploid according to a chromosome count by Dr. David Zlesak. See
References for a finding that Bonica is tetraploid using flow cytometry.
There are apparently at least
two Meilland roses named 'Bonica'. The first one, a red version, and this one, the better-known (later) pink version.
In September 1998, the Montreal Botanical Garden (Le Jardin Botanique de Montreal) carried out a survey of its roses' resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust. This is one of the outstanding varieties which showed a 0% to 5% infection rate. The data was taken on well-established roses.
In his garden in Norfolk, Robert Wharton, of Whartons Nurseries Ltd., reports the best rose varieties in his garden are: 'Flower Carpet Pink', 'Flower Carpet Sunshine', 'Flower Carpet White', 'The Fairy', 'Arthur Bell', 'Bonica', 'Ballerina' and 'Jacques Cartier'.
[From Sixth Annual Goulding Memorial Lecture, Newsletter of the Societe des roses du Quebec Rose Society, December 2000 / February 2001, p. 13-15:] Jacques Mouchotte, Research Director, Meilland Group... In 1978, M. Mouchotte was promoted in charge of Meilland's Hybrid Tea, Floribunda and Climbing rose breeding programs. Some of his better known varieties are 'Bonica', 'Debut', 'Carefree Wonder', and 'Carefree Delight'. His more recent achievement has been hybridizing the beautiful Romantica Series of roses which is receiving world-wide acclaim.
