''Rosa'' 'Midas Touch' (aka JACtou) is a yellow

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 Hybrid Perpetuals with the tall, elegant Tea roses. ...

cultivar, bred by American hybridizer,

Jack E. Christensen Jack E. Christensen (1949–2021) was an award-winning American rose hybridizer, garden writer and science teacher. He developed more than 80 rose varieties during his career. He was the youngest hybridizer to win an All-America Rose Selections ...

, in 1992. The rose was introduced in the United States by Bear Creek Gardens, Inc. in 1994 as 'Midas Touch'. The rose won the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) award in 1994.

Description

'Midas Touch' is a tall, upright, bushy hybrid tea rose, in height, with a } spread. It has a lightly double, cupped bloom form. Bloom size is . The rose has a moderate, musky fragrance. Flower color is a bright golden-yellow with golden stamens. The flowers are typically borne singly, but sometimes are carried in small clusters and hold up well in rainy weather. 'Midas Touch' is a vigorous grower and has large, matte, medium-green leaves. It is very disease resistant.

History

Jack E. Christensen

Jack E. Christensen (1949–2021) was an award-winning American rose breeder, garden writer and biology teacher from

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...

. Christensen was born in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents ac ...

in 1949. He showed an early interest in nature and gardening when he was very young. In high school, Christensen won a scholarship to

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

. He initially planned to become a doctor, but later changed his mind and transferred to

Cal Poly Pomona California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona, CPP, or Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo. See the '' name'' section of this article for more info ...

to study

Botany Botany, also called plant science (or plant sciences), plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "bot ...

. Christensen spent most of his horticultural career at Armstrong Nurseries in

. He progressed through the company until he became a hybridizer of roses and fruit trees, and vice-president of research. During his career, he developed over 80 new rose cultivars, including 'Henry Fonda', 'Gold Medal', 'Cricket', 'White Lightnin' and 'Fragrant Plum'. Christensen was the youngest hybridizer to win an All-America Rose Selections (AARS) in 1986, with his hybrid tea, 'Voodoo'. In 2001, Christensen left Armstrong Nurseries and became a gardening writer for the

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin The ''Inland Valley Daily Bulletin'' is a daily newspaper based in Rancho Cucamonga, California, serving the Pomona Valley and southwest San Bernardino County. The ''Daily Bulletin'' is a member of the Southern California News Group (formerly the ...

Rancho Cucamonga, California Rancho Cucamonga ( ) is a city located just south of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest in San Bernardino County, California, United States. About east of Downtown Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga is the 28t ...

. He also took a position as a biology teacher at

Chaffey High School Chaffey High School is a public high school in Ontario, California, United States. It is part of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District and rests on approximately , making it one of the largest high schools by area in California. The school ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, where he taught for 20 years. On March 10, 2021, at the age of 72, Christensen died after a long illness.

'Midas Touch'

'Midas Touch' was developed by Christensen in 1992 from a cross between hybrid tea rose, 'Brandy' and shrub rose, 'Friesensöhne'. The rose was introduced in the United States by Bear Creek Gardens, Inc. in 1994 as 'Midas Touch'. The rose won the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) award in 1994.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosa 'Midas Touch'

Midas Touch Midas (; grc-gre, Μίδας) was the name of a king in Phrygia with whom several myths became associated, as well as two later members of the Phrygian royal house. The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ...

1994 introductions