Book  (1998)  Page(s) 48.  
 
Susan Irvine, The Hybrid Musks. Then there is ‘Francesca’, valuable in the border for its semi-double deep yellow flowers. I planted it for the first time this year and am delighted with its pretty scrolled buds almost the colour of ‘Buff Beauty’.

Book  (1998)  Page(s) 47.  
 
‘Francesca’.  Origin, Pemberton, UK 1928  Breeding ‘Danae’ x ‘Sunburst’.    Good roses of this quality and colour, apricot-yellow to primrose, are rare.    A medium-sized to tall strongly arching shrub with plenty of dark glossy foliage which has good repeat to continuous blooming.    The sprays of flowers are loosely double on strong red-brown stems and have a pleasant tea scent.   This graceful plant is quite strong enough without support but can be successfully grown as a smaller climber.  Nigel and Judy Pratt have done this effectively, combining ‘Francesca’ with ‘Pax’ over an archway at their Tasman Bay Nursery in Nelson.   Size 1.5 x 1m.
 

Book  (Nov 1997)  
 
p89 ‘Felicia’ and ‘Francesca’ are two other Hybrid Musks which make fine hedge plants. With their more upright growth pattern, they form a tidier hedge. …..’Francesca’ lightly double apricot-lemon….

p105 ….and ‘Francesca’, a loosely double pale buff-yellow, are winners in warmer climates.

Book  (1996)  Page(s) 37.  
 
'Francesca'. CF Shrub; bears big sprays of apricot yellow, rounded to flat, semi-double blooms, 3in (8cm) across, in summer and autumn on shrubby 4x4ft (1.2 x 1.2m) plants, with dark glossy leaves; light scent. 'Danae' x 'Sunburst'. Pemberton, England, 1922. MS

Book  (1996)  Page(s) 45.  
 
‘Francesca’. Origin Pemberton, UK 1928. Breeding ‘Danae’ x ‘Sunburst’. A tall growing Hybrid Musk with an inclination to climb. Apricot yellow buds open to rather loosely shaped flowers of the same colour. Very useful as its strong yellow colour is rare among shrub climbers. I have it growing through a Prunus ‘Accolade’ to about 2.2 metres. On an elegant gazebo at Tasman Bay Nursery in Nelson, Nigel and Judy Pratt have planted an inspired and stunning combination of ‘Francesca’ with another Hybrid Musk, ‘Pax’. Continuous flowering. Size: 2 x 2m.

Magazine  (1995)  Page(s) 17. No. 10.  
 
Deirdre Gordon: ….The first of many delights to greet us was a magnificent specimen of ‘Buff Beauty’ trained as a climber to great effect, which served as a reminder of how splendid some of the larger Hybrid Musks can be when used in this way. Indeed roses such as ‘Moonlight’, ‘Francesca’ and ‘Pax’ seem to cry out for something to spread themselves against!

Book  (Nov 1994)  Page(s) 172.  
 
‘Francesca’. 1922. ‘Danae’ x ‘Sunburst’. Dark red-brown wood and prickles, with glossy, long, dark green leaves, creating a fine, luxuriant, leafy bush of graceful habit and inclined to Tea influence in leaf, flower, and scent, but quite hardy and vigorous. The arching, but not weak, stems support loose, nodding, apricot-yellow blooms, of long shape in the bud, fading in hot sun to butter colour. At all times beautiful and richly tea-scented. Has very much the air of a Noisette or early Tea Rose, and is a valuable garden shrub. 6 feet by 6 feet.

Book  (Jul 1993)  Page(s) 20.  
 
'Francesca'. A large, graceful shrub of 6ft. in height, with broad arching growth. It is well clothed with foliage, the individual leaves being long and pointed. The long pointed buds of slim, Tea Rose elegance open to quite large, semi-double flowers which are nicely poised in well spaced sprays and coloured apricot-yellow fading to pale yellow. Strong Tea Rose scent. From ‘Danae’ x ‘Sunburst’. Raised by Pemberton (U.K.), introduced 1922.

Book  (Apr 1993)  Page(s) 189.  
 
Francesca Hybrid Musk (Shrub), apricot, single, 1922, 'Danaë' x 'Sunburst'; Pemberton. Description.

Book  (1993)  Page(s) 207.  Includes photo(s).
 
'Francesca'. A graceful Hybrid Musk. The flowers are more yellow in autumn. Raised by Pemberton in Britain, launched 1928. ('Danae' x 'Sunburst'). To 180 x 180 cm (6 x 6 ft). Richly scented.