HYBRID MUSKS

HYBRID MUSKS
(Daphne shown)

Strictly speaking, this is a group of about two dozen roses raised in England by the Reverend Pemberton and his successors in breeding, the Bentalls. These were slightly preceded by a group of hybrids raised by Peter Lambert in Germany about the turn of the century. The 'Lambertianas' share a similar parentage with the Hybrid Musks, and are largely included with them, although classed variously as Polyanthas, Ramblers, Large-Flowered Climbers, etc. Aglaia, a parent of the Lambertianas, was the result of a Noisette, Reve d'Or, crossed with R. multiflora. Because of the R. moschata in the Noisette's ancestry (see Noisette), a tenuous link to the Musk Roses is held by this group. Their sweet and fruity scents are attributable more to the nearer parentage of the strongly fragrant R. multiflora and perhaps the Tea Rose influence in Reve d'Or. More recently in this century, roses sharing similar ancestry or a similar look to the Hybrid Musks have been added. Some are truly out of place, and have their inclusion has begun to cloud the novice's understanding of what Hybrid Musks are; particularly such roses as Sally Holmes which would be better placed with modern shrub roses. What binds the Hybrid Musk group together is its shrub-rose nature. These roses are best grown freely, without pruning, allowing their natural grace to develop. They are mostly fragrant, bearing subtly colored smallish flowers in clusters, often very large clusters, especially in the fall. Healthy, lustrous foliage is a hallmark of the Hybrid Musks and several varieties can be pushed quite far with shade tolerance. In designing gardens, I have found them irreplaceable. Roses that require little pruning, and thus little familiarity with rose culture, suit people who want the showy beauty of roses without the upkeep. They are mostly hardy to about 15 degrees F.

Habit
The habits of the Hybrid Musks reflect their types;
1) the smallest being closely related to Polyanthas, with upright to spreading canes ending in large clusters of small flowers, like Ballerina, to 4' tall or less,
2) and intermediate form very much like modern shrub roses, including some of the David Austin hybrids, with smaller clusters of larger flowers, like Felicia, reaching up to 5' to 6' tall and broad, and
3) the very large growers, which behave almost like Tea-Noisettes, and are really suitable as climbers, for as shrubs they take up a great breadth of space with their arching long canes, as does Clytemnestra.