Rosa Graham Thomas

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Graham Thomas is a rose bred by David C.H. Austin released in 1983, and named for the horticulturalist and populariser of old roses, Graham Thomas.

Graham Thomas has been described as "the most popular" of Austin's creations and the one that fixed his popularity with the public; it was the first Austin rose to win the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit at the Chelsea Flower show ten years after its introduction in 1993.

A cross between the white floribunda, 'Iceberg', and another "English" rose, 'Charles Austin', the double flowers are cupped and of a quartered old rose style formation, and described variously as "rich deep yellow', "golden yellow", "amber" and "ochre yellow", that fades paler as the bloom ages. In 1988, Modern Garden Roses noted "Its importance and novelty value lie in its colour. Never before has such a positive yellow colour appeared among roses of this type of growth."

It has a strong "tea" scent.

A small shrub of  in its native England, it can grow up to  into a small climber in warmer areas.

Austin used it extensively in further breeding; some cultivars created were 'Evelyn' and 'The Pilgrim' in 1991, 'Charlotte' and 'Molineaux' in 1994, and 'Pegasus' in 1995. Other breeders have also used 'Graham Thomas' in their breeding programs, most notably Massad in 1992 with 'Versigny' and Meilland in 2006 for 'Elbflorenz'.

It was named The World's Favourite Rose, entering the Rose Society hall of fame in 2009.

References

External links 
 Graham Thomas on HelpMeFind Roses

Graham Thomas
Category:1983 introductions
Category:Garden plants