Visit a DIY store and you will be bemused by the names of paint. ‘Elephant’s Breath,’ hmm could that even be a colour? Dead Salmon seems unappealing even when the dead means flat as in not shiny. Pink was originally a murky yellow green only moving to describe light red in the late seventeenth century. The name of today’s rose appears to fall into these vague or confusing colour categories as we have the Portland rose – ‘Indigo.’ Not a deep midnight blue at all but mauve. Roses do not have the gene that produces the blue pigment delphinidin, (unless genetically modified) but nineteenth-century growers endlessly pursued the dream of breeding a blue rose. Perhaps naming this rose for a strong blue colour was a marketing ploy to tempt buyers?
Whatever the story behind the name ‘Indigo’ is a pretty rose. She can vary in colour according to sunlight and temperature, ranging from a dark purple through to mauve, sometimes with a streak of white or crimson. The petal backs are a little paler giving an attractive appearance. She will fade slowly as the large bloom matures ending up as a slaty pinkish grey. A small yellow button peeps through the double petals. Blooms appear either singly or in small clusters from June through to autumn. Delicious fragrance.
An early rose dating from pre-1845, bred by Jean Laffay. ‘Indigo’ reaches around one metre and is quite upright, so she does not take up so much space. Dark prickly stems with matt green foliage. Disease resistant although mildew might visit in very dry summers. Said to grow well in poor soil. USDA zo
Rose of the Day 