Magazine  (2019)  Page(s) 51. Vol 41, No. 1.  
 
Margaret Furness.  Tea, Noisette and China Mislabels in Australia.
The spring-flowering monster in commerce everywhere as Parks’ Yellow is incorrect (it should be a repeat-flowering bush). Better to call it “Not Parks’ Yellow”. It may be Fée Opale, a seedling of Fortune’s Double Yellow, before 1899.

Magazine  (2013)  Page(s) 14. Vol 35, No. 1.  
 
Patricia Routley, Western Australia. ‘Fée Opale’. The climbing rose grown and sold around the world today as ‘Parks’ Yellow Tea-Scented China’ is not the original 1824 repeat-flowering rose. It does not bloom until the long canes are well established and it flowers in spring only. It has turned out to be not even a tea rose or a china rose, but seems to be a hybrid noisette; more on this classification can be read in the HelpMeFind Roses comments for ‘Fée Opale’. The climber was rescued by Peter Beales who has no recollection of where he got the rose from. Hazel Le Rougetel wrote of getting the climber from him in her 1988 book, A Heritage of Roses so it had to be found before that date. Peter put it on the market as ‘Parks’ Yellow Tea-Scented China’ but he neglected to note that it was a spring-only flowerer and therefore could not possibly have been the original repeat-flowering tea rose. These days rosarians seem to agree that the climbing rose is ‘Fée Opale but it has taken a decade or two of discussion to reach this decision.
‘Fée Opale’ was bred by Bruant in France sometime before 1899 from ‘Fortune’s Double Yellow’. The pollen parent is unknown. People had seen similarities between ‘Fée Opale’ and ‘Fortune’s Double Yellow’ and they do flower at the same time very early in spring. I have photos of both of my plants in peak bloom in mid October at Northcliffe. My ‘Fée Opale’ came as a cutting in 2001 from Natalee Kuser at Aunt Myrtles Garden Nursery in Bridgetown under the name of ‘Parks’ Yellow Tea-Scented China’. It is an opalescent and transparent, pearly white bloom of 10cm and it should have about 50-60 petals. My blooms seem to have fewer petals but I am conscious that I should fertilise a little more. It certainly has been more floriferous and beautiful in dryer springs than the damp one we had in September/October, 2012. It has been said to smell of sweet grapefruit, but not to my ungrateful nose. The climbing canes of my bush are a pale olive green and 15cm laterals positively erupt from the canes, each bearing a single bloom. In 1899 the breeder wrote the edges of the petals were “nymph flesh pink”, and the buds certainly show pink at the tips, as do the early blooms briefly. Then it is exquisite and a look at the French/English dictionary makes one understand why the breeder named it as the translation of the French name ‘Fée Opale’ is magical, fairytale opal. There is a large and rounded receptacle, but the plant is infertile and does not set hips. The new young foliage is red-brown, with a tinge of the same colour under the leaves. With maturity the leaves become deep green with just a hint of blue in them. It can grow from 2m to 5m. It is very disease resistant and one is advised not to prune this rose hardly at all. It hates it.

Book  (2007)  
 
'Fée Opale' Noisette, light yellow, Bruant. Includes description.

Book  (2000)  Page(s) 55.  
 
Bruant, François-René
Poitiers, France
1900 - T - Fée Opale

Book  (1936)  Page(s) 254.  
 
Fée Opale (hybrid noisette) Bruant 1899; Jaune de Fortune X ? ; yellowish mother-of-pearl white, large, double, once-blooming, climbing habit.

Website/Catalog  (1912)  Page(s) 43.  
 
Fée Opale, No. (Bruant, 1899) ... [Location] Pl. 15 N^o 23

Book  (1910)  Page(s) 335.  
 
[One of the more tender Noisettes leaning towards the Teas.] Fee Opale [Noisette]; transparent pearly white shaded with yellow and pale rose; of climbing habit.

Magazine  (1909)  Page(s) 402.  
 
Rêve d'or (noisette); Marie van Houtte (thé); Turner's Crimson Rambler (sujet de quinze ans, et troncs énormes); Renée Barbier (hybride de Wichuraiana); Fée Opale (hybride de Noisette), et bien d'autres donnés comme peu robustes.

Book  (1909)  Page(s) 266.  
 
Rosiers pleureurs....Variétés non remontantes...
Fée opale

Book  (1906)  Page(s) 59.  
 
3.857. Fée opale, Hybride de Noisette, Bruant 1899 blanc jaunâtre, non-remontant.