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• Virdor

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Light yellow Large-Flowered Climber.
Registration name: Virdor
Exhibition name: Manipur Magic ™

Bred by M.S. Viraraghavan (India, 2005).
Introduced in United States by Roses Unlimited in 2005 as 'Manipur Magic'.

Hybrid Gigantea.  

Light yellow.  None to mild fragrance.  Average diameter 5".  Large, very full (41+ petals), cluster-flowered, in small clusters bloom form.  Occasional repeat later in the season.  

Tall, climbing.  Large, semi-glossy, light green foliage.  

Height: up to 20' (up to 610cm).  

USDA zone 7a through 11.  Can be used for garden or landscape.  Prefers full sun.  prefers warmer sites.  Remove spent blooms to encourage re-bloom.  Requires spring freeze protection (see glossary - Spring freeze protection) .  Prune dead wood.  Prune lightly or not at all.  Resist the urge to prune this rose too heavily -- it doesn't like it!.  This rose blooms on old wood.  

Manipur is the name of the state in N.E India where we found R. gigantea in 1990. The state has beautiful hills and valleys and some pristine forests at fairly high altitudes. It adjoins Burma, and many well known botanists of British India days like Roxburgh, Hooker, Kingdon Ward have explored its territory.
It is a magical place, when it is not dangerous (perhaps that enhances the magic!) and the landscape and the people are very different from the rest of India, with a vibrant colorful culture. Giving this climber this name is a way of saying thank you.
The very full double flowers of dark cream makes ‘Manipur Magic’ reminiscent of ‘Marechal Niel’, but this plant is much more vigorous, with a strong Tea fragrance, and is repeat flowering.

RNRS 'Tne Rose' for Autumn/Winter 2006 page 99 states that this rose is a Hybrid Gigantea.