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• Big Purple
• Nuit d'Orient ®
• STEbigpu
• Stephens' Rose Big Purple

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Mauve or mauve blend Hybrid Tea.
Registration name: STEbigpu
Exhibition name: Stephens' Big Purple

Bred by Pat "Paddy" Stephens/Stevens (New Zealand, 1985).

Hybrid Tea / Large-Flowered.  

Violet - mauve.  Strong, old rose fragrance.  35 to 70 petals.  Average diameter 5".  Very large, very full (41+ petals) bloom form.  Blooms in flushes throughout the season.  

Height of 3' to 6' (90 to 185 cm).  Width of 2' (60 cm).

USDA zone 7b and warmer.  Disease susceptibility: very disease resistant.  Spring Pruning: Remove old canes and dead or diseased wood and cut back canes that cross. In warmer climates, cut back the remaining canes by about one-third. In colder areas, you'll probably find you'll have to prune a little more than that.  Requires spring freeze protection (see glossary - Spring freeze protection) .  

Australia - Application No: 1990/027  on  15 Feb 1990
Synonym: Big Purple. Applicant: Paddy Stephens.United States - Patent No: PP 6,262  on  30 Aug 1988   VIEW USPTO PATENT
Application No: 895289  on  11 Aug 1986
Rose plant named Stebigpu
Patrick N. Stephens, deceased, late of Te Awamutu, New Zealand
... a large, heavily petalled reddish purple hybrid tea rose... characterized particularly by large, heavily petalled reddish purple flowers borne on a vigorous, disease resistant plant and which are long lasting on the plant and as cut flowers... Parentage: unnamed, unpatented seedling x 'Purple Splendor'... Average bloom size when fully expanded -- about 5 inches... Number of petals under normal conditions -- about 60-70... Fragrance: Rich rose... Hips: None observed... Height: About 6 feet... Resistance to disease: Blackspot -- excellent. Mildew -- excellent. Rust -- excellent... Very winter hardy...

Big Purple was removed from the Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens (ARBG) Display Trial because its trial period expired.