Breeding stock only

• Midnight Supreme
• Seedling 12-009

Bred by André Carl (United States, 2012).

Climber, Large-Flowered Climber.  

Dark purple, white center, violet-red edges.  Mild fragrance.  5 petals.  Average diameter 5".  Large, single (4-8 petals) bloom form.  Moderate, continuous (perpetual) bloom throughout the season.  Large, long, pointed buds.  

Tall, climbing, few or no prickles/thorns, upright, well-branched.  Large, glossy, dark green, edged purple-red foliage.  5 leaflets.  

Height: 8' to 12' (245 to 365cm).  Width: 3' to 5' (90 to 150cm).

USDA zone 5b and warmer.  Can be used for beds and borders, garden or landscape.  Hardy.  vigorous.  benefits from winter protection in colder climates.  can be grown as a shrub.  drought resistant.  flowers drop off cleanly.  heat tolerant.  produces decorative hips.  shade tolerant.  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.  Can be pruned to maintain a shorter habit.  

One of my first seedlings I ever raised and still one of my favorites too. This seedling was raised from a few open-pollinated seeds collected.

I believe it has several characteristics that make it an improvement upon Night Owl. The most striking improvement is the blooms. They are much bigger and are born mostly solitary versus the clusters you see on Night Owl and the color tends to be brighter despite it retaining the rich dark color of Night Owl.

Generally, the growth habit is very similar in both plants but Midnight Supreme is definitely almost thornless - rarely will I see thorns on it. Foliage is slightly darker in Midnight Supreme and about the same size and shape. Disease resistance is also about the same but further evaluations are in order to fully make that determination.

First planted in the ground: July 2016