HelpMeFind Roses, Clematis and Peonies
Roses, Clematis and Peonies
and everything gardening related.
DescriptionPhotosLineageAwardsReferencesMember RatingsMember CommentsMember JournalsCuttingsGardensBuy From 
'Chrysler Imperial' rose Reviews & Comments
Discussion id : 135-550
most recent 3 JAN SHOW ALL
 
Initial post 6 DEC 22 by MiGreenThumb
I feel the fragrance description needs changed. Chrysler Imperial does not smell of cloves/spice in the least. Rugosa roses often do. No references make such a wild claim either.
It's the damask fragrance blended with citrus undertones from foetida ancestors.
REPLY
Reply #1 of 7 posted 6 DEC 22 by jedmar
The reference from 1964 states rose & clove fragrance, based on a study in the American Rose Annual 1963 (which we cannot access)
REPLY
Reply #2 of 7 posted 7 DEC 22 by Patricia Routley
I have that Annual, but it was the 1962 Annual that the reference appeared. Reference added.
REPLY
Reply #3 of 7 posted 7 DEC 22 by billy teabag
I agree with MiGreenThumb that the dominant fragrance of Chrysler Imperial is the marvellous classic 'fragrant deep red rose' scent that combines damask rose and citrus. Perhaps additional notes might be detectable to a discerning nose in certain conditions, but the overall fragrance is very much like that of its offspring, Papa Meilland, Oklahoma and Mr Lincoln.
REPLY
Reply #5 of 7 posted 2 JAN by MiGreenThumb
I appreciate the feedback, billy.
I have rugosa roses, and they DO have the scent of clove about them, and it's readily apparent.
It's a similar situation to David Austin catalogue description of scents, or akin to an enthusiastic gardener I've encountered that stated 'Fragrant Cloud' possessed the classic old rose decent, which is certainly not the case, methinks.
Just like blaming Rosa foetida for black spot in modern roses/yellow roses when we have things like Teas, Chinas, and Bourbons getting black spot without a trace of foetida blood, it's far too difficult to not cast doubt on "authorities", especially in the world of plants.
I have a particularly sensitive, if untrained olfactory capabilities.
Unfortunately, unlike my hearing tests for work, I can't give unarguable scientific proof for my sense of smell the way I can for my superior hearing capabilities to what the average individual is even in possession of.
REPLY
Reply #6 of 7 posted 3 JAN by billy teabag
You're welcome.
It's a blessing, I think, this mysterious sense. It opens up a whole world of interest and wonder, calls up memory and it would be good to have aids to enhance the sense of smell or to help those who have lost or partially lost that sense.
These respiratory viruses have cruelly robbed a lot of people of some or all of their sense of smell and mine is not as acute as it was pre RSV and Covid 19.
The clove scent is said to be in Souvenir de la Malmaison and Souvenir de St Anne's.
"Souvenir de St Anne's smells of cloves" was written by someone and copied by many after them. I snuffled them for years and, for me, while there was a hint of clove it was not the dominant scent.
One day when I was sniffing a bloom of Souvenir de St Anne's I caught a definite strong note of clove - but it wasn't dominant, or the only note - there was apple too, and a smell like fresh, sweet pastry. All together it had all the makings of spiced apple pie!
Fragrance is an elusive thing at the best of times. I have noticed strong scents of this and that rose on one occasion (fresh nectarines and fig jam for example) strong and unmitigated - and never been able to find those notes again. And I'm sure different noses pick up different parts of a possible fragrance spectrum and there must be smell-blindness and olfactory astigmatisms and short smelled-ness and long smelled-ness as well as most of us having less than 20/20 function.
I hope people like you with a marvellous sense of smell help to fill in gaps in fragrance descriptions and encourage others to explore this aspect of rose appreciation.
REPLY
Reply #7 of 7 posted 3 JAN by Margaret Furness
I've read that many people can't smell Boronia, poor souls, on a genetic basis: and that there is a genetic basis for smelling and tasting coriander as soap.
REPLY
Reply #4 of 7 posted 7 DEC 22 by jedmar
Thank you all, possibly Neville Miller was thinking of rose fragrance = damask. Damask and citrus notes added to description.
REPLY
Discussion id : 91-681
most recent 24 SEP 21 SHOW ALL
 
Initial post 23 MAR 16 by drossb1986
I'll be honest, my current experience with Chrysler Imperial begs to me ask, "What's all the fuss about?" I purchased because it is said CI is an all-star in a hot climate, so ask me how she does here in Houston in August. But, so far, i'm unimpressed. It smells lovely, but the blooms blow open quickly. The coloring seems odd to me, like there's too much purple in it...like the petals are bruised a little bit. It's had some mildew issues already, but Tropicana is next to it and Tropicana is the mildew queen. I would trade in the fragrance for the color, shape, and vase performance of Olympiad any day.

August 2016 Update: I'm still not impressed with CI. Despite its reported heat tolerance, it didn't really impress this summer. It was just ok. The plant is fairly compact and grows in a narrow, straight-up fashion, so it looks a little out of place with its bed-mates to me. It looks like it's trying to grow to keep from touching any other plant. I haven't had any mildew issues since this spring, and have had zero blackspot problems.

January 2019 Update: CI has actually turned into a really great plant. I still think the blooms open to quickly, but after a couple of years in the ground she's really taken off. She also have lived up to her heat tolerance reputation trying to bloom in abundance in the peak of summer. Great "beginner" variety and great "old-school" rose.
REPLY
Reply #1 of 6 posted 18 JUN 16 by StrawChicago Alkaline clay 5a
Agree with you on Chrysler Imperial .. saw that in a pot for $10 at local store, Sniffed it. Not impressed, fragrance can't compare to Mr. Lincoln. The rose park nearby has Chrysler Imperial for years .. every year I hope for a good scent, but disappointed in its mediocre scent. Mr. Lincoln rose was better-looking at the rose park, but wasn't hardy. For a good red rose, Firefighter is fragrant & last long in the vase ... really miss that own-root Firefighter after it died in a dry & cold zone 5a winter.
REPLY
Reply #2 of 6 posted 24 JAN 19 by davyjns
I found this to have a strong rose scent very much on par with Mr. Lincoln. Funny how these things happen.
REPLY
Reply #3 of 6 posted 8 JUL 19 by BrianH
My landlord grew this rose where I lived 20 years ago. This was a early 60s era tract house in the hot inland valley area of Los Angeles. This rose was an astonishing survivor, probably planted forty years before. It bloomed heavily once in the spring on the 10 inches of annual rainfall, then scattered bloom till November. The stems were short as the bush had been whacked to 4 feet with hedge shears for years. Every bud opened perfectly albeit quickly in the triple digit heat. The damask scent was as strong as Mister Lincoln. Dust had to be washed off the matte foliage when cut for the house. Of course there was little black spot pressure in that climate, but mildew and rust never seemed to appear. I've never seen a more neglected rose hang in there so well. I think these traits make it an excellent candidate for gardens in climates with very low humidity and withering hot summers. When I retire and return to California I intend to plant one and see what happens when it is really treated well.
REPLY
Reply #6 of 6 posted 24 SEP 21 by MiGreenThumb
I believe Chrysler Imperial to have superior strength and type of fragrance over Mr. Lincoln. A much better plant too.
REPLY
Reply #4 of 6 posted 11 APR 20 by newtie
Try it on a different root stock. For your climate i would suggest fortuniana root available from K&M Roses in Buccatuna Mississippi. I think you will like it once you get it on the right root stock for your area. Also, for Houston, plant it very high. Mound the soil up a good 12 inches higher than ground level.
REPLY
Reply #5 of 6 posted 12 APR 20 by Puns 'n' Roses
I grow Mr Lincoln and Chrysler Imperial side by side. Both are in (as of now) too small pots. Mr L. is more vigorous, but tends to concentrate more on single canes while C.I. is bushier and considerably lower. Mr. L also puts out more blooms. I can't seem to remember if C.I. blooms lasted longer or shorter. The scent is different, but gorgeous on both plants. I had planned to make a small "family border" with Mr Lincoln's ancestors and siblings like Oklahoma and Papa Meilland, but they are hard to get.
REPLY
Discussion id : 129-146
most recent 23 SEP 21 HIDE POSTS
 
Initial post 23 SEP 21 by MiGreenThumb
One of my favourite roses.
The scent, colour, vigour, and general health even in Southern Michigan is superior to many newer supposedly better fragrant red hybrid teas. No mildew to speak of, moderate black spot. I love the blueing factor because it shows natural progression of age. Want it to stay the same colour? You want plastic.
Returns strongly even after winter cuts canes to the snow line/crown.
As a child, I called Chrysler cars with the pentastar emblems Red Rose Cars. Why? I have no idea. I was around 5. I think it had something to do with the five pointed star. Imagine my astonishment when I discovered roses in my early teens that there actually IS a red rose and it's named Chrysler Imperial! How perfect. My favourite rose colour and scent with the name of my beloved MaMopar (even if they were the simple, durable K-cars!)
I'd love to try this on Multiflora as Dr. Huey is a miserable, non-thriving cuss in most instances in my garden.
Truly one of the Timeless Greats in the rose world.
REPLY
Discussion id : 120-902
most recent 11 APR 20 HIDE POSTS
 
Initial post 11 APR 20 by newtie
A good argument can be made that this rose named to help promote a car is the best hybrid tea red rose introduced to date (2020). It seems to have no faults and it is spectacularly beautiful and with a strong classic rose fragrance. Here it grows exceptionally well saddle grafted on fortuniana stock. (Gulf coast zone 8b). There are hundreds of red hybrid teas. Many are exceptional; yet I don't see how this rose could be improved on. Of course like all other roses it will not thrive in all zones. But in the climate zones it is suited to, there is nothing better in my opinion when it come to classic red hybrid teas.
REPLY
© 2024 HelpMeFind.com