A Tea rose with a twin identity today, ‘Archiduc Joseph’ or ‘Monsieur Tillier’? Are these two discrete roses or the same? Most authorities consider this rose to be the same but disagree on which of the two names to use. I bought mine as ‘Archiduc Joseph’ from Peter Beales, so he remains with this name. Not the only Tea rose with a muddled identification, ‘Clementina Carbonieri’ and ‘Souvenir de Gilbert Nabbonand’ are believed to be just one rose.
‘Archiduc Joseph’ is a seedling from the Tea rose ‘Mme Lombard’, discovered in 1892 and introduced to the market by Gilbert Nabonnand of Golfe Juan on the Côte d’Azur. Gilbert introduced an astonishing two hundred and nine roses. He concentrated on China and Tea roses, but a fair number are now lost to cultivation.
However, if we think this rose is ‘Monsieur Tillier’ the breeder is Jean-Alexandre Bernaix of Villeurbanne-Lyon who introduced his rose in 1892. The breeding is not recorded.
‘Archiduc Joseph’ gives us small pink buds, either singly or in small clusters. Opening to a smallish double enchanting pink, orange, and coppery toned blooms. These colours can vary according to temperature, with purple hues also appearing. A ‘brick’ red tone is also mentioned in the literature. The dark backed petals quickly reflex into quills, resulting in a small fiery sun of a bloom. Intoxicating ‘Tea’ fragrance as well. He blooms practically continuously well into the autumn.
Healthy dark matt green foliage on smooth thornless stems. A neat tidy growing habit, he can reach 1.5m here in the UK but much taller, around 3m, in warmer climates. Disease resistant. Not a lover of secateurs, just leave him to quietly grow. Hardy USDA zone 6b-9b, these are roses that appreciate sunny sheltered spots. Widely available but he may be sold under the name ‘Monsieur Tillier’ in the States and Australia.
Pinning a namesake is tricky where one has several individuals who have carried a particular title, there are a fair number of Archiduc Josephs. A single reference ties this rose to Joseph Charles Louis of Habsburg-Lorraine, Archduke of Austria, and Count Palatine of Hungary (1833-1905). A patron of Nabonnand, a botanist, and creator of the Margitsziger Park in Budapest, and in his spare time he compiled a Romany grammar. His sister Elisabeth Françoise Marie of Habsburg-Lorraine is the likely namesake of the Hybrid Perpetual ‘Archiduchesse Élizabeth d’Autriche’.
If this is ‘Monsieur Tillier’ this rose is named for the former head of the National School of Horticulture in Versailles.
Name issue aside ‘Archiduc Joseph’ is a charming rose that grows easily and keeps on giving blooms over a long season. Not a cold climate rose for my readers who garden in more chilly areas but if you are in USDA zones 6b and warmer this is a rose to consider.
Originally appeared on my Facebook blog ‘Rose of the Day’ 15th March 2022
Rose of the Day 