''Rosa'' 'Charlotte Armstrong' is a pink

Hybrid tea rose Hybrid tea is an informal horticultural classification for a group of garden roses. The first hybrid tea roses were created in France in the mid-1800s, by cross-breeding the large, floriferous Garden roses#Hybrid perpetual, hybrid perpetuals with ...

cultivar developed by Dr. Walter Lammerts and introduced in the U.S. by Armstrong Roses in 1940. The rose won the

All-America Rose Selections The All-America Rose Selections (AARS) is an award that was given annually, from 1940 to 2013, by the United States, American rose industry to an outstanding new rose variety. The AARS selection was regarded as the most prestigious rose prize in the ...

Award (AARS) and the

Portland Gold Medal The Portland Gold Award is given annually by the Portland Rose Society to new rose cultivars that demonstrate exceptional performance in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The first award was given in 1919 by the city of Portland, Oregon. ...

in 1941.

Description

'Charlotte Armstrong' is a vigorous, upright hybrid tea rose, in height with a spread. Blooms are large, with an average diameter of , and a full bloom form (26–40 petals). Long, pointed red buds open to medium-pink flowers with darker pink backs. The flowers have long, durable petals and a strong, sweet, citrus fragrance. Flowers are primarily carried singly on long stems. 'Charlotte Armstrong' blooms in flushes throughout the growing season. It is very disease resistant. The shrub has a lax, ungainly growth habit and dark green, leathery foliage.

History

Walter Lammerts

Walter E. Lammerts (1904-1996) was an author, horticulturist, and rose breeder. He earned a BS and PhD in horticulture from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

. In 1935, he was hired by John Armstrong, owner of Armstrong Nurseries, and established the company's rose development program. He introduced 46 new rose varieties between 1940 and 1981. Working with

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

newspaper owner,

Manchester Boddy Elias Manchester Boddy (; November 1, 1891– May 12, 1967) was an American newspaper publisher. He rose from poverty to become the publisher of a major California newspaper and a candidate for Congress. His estate, Descanso Gardens, was deeded ...

, Lammerts developed a plant research program at

Descanso Gardens Descanso Gardens is a botanical garden located in La Cañada Flintridge, California, La Cañada Flintridge, Los Angeles County, California. It sits on the northern edge of the San Rafael Hills. Descanso Gardens features a wide area, mostly f ...

La Cañada Flintridge, California La Cañada Flintridge, commonly known as just , is a city in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located in the Crescenta Valley, in the western edge of the San Gabriel Valley, it is the l ...

. He later continued his plant research in

Livermore, California Livermore is a city in Alameda County, California. With a 2020 population of 87,955, Livermore is the most populous city in the Tri-Valley, giving its name to the Livermore Valley. It is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisc ...

working at the Amling-DeVor Nursery. Lammerts died on June 4, 1996.

'Charlotte Armstrong'

Lammerts developed the rose cultivar by crossing the yellow Hybrid tea, 'Soeur Therese' with red Hybrid tea rose, 'Crimson Glory'. Armstrong Roses introduced 'Charlotte Armstrong' into the U.S. in 1940, and named the new rose for John Armstrong's wife, Charlotte. 'Charlotte Armstrong' was used to hybridize twenty child plants, including 'Queen Elizabeth', 'Garden Party', 'Tiffany', and 'Chrysler Imperial'. The rose is the official flower of the city of

Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, it lies ...

, where Armstrong Roses was based. 'Charlotte Armstrong' won the

Award (AARS) and the

in 1941.

References

{{Rose, state=collapsed Charlotte Armstrong 1940 introductions