• Seedling from 2009

Bred by M.S. Viraraghavan (India, 2009).

China / Bengale, Hybrid Clinophylla.  

Light pink, ages to rose-pink .  Spice fragrance.  12 to 14 petals.  Average diameter 3.5".  Medium, semi-double (9-16 petals), borne mostly solitary, high-centered to flat, open, quilled bloom form.  Continuous (perpetual) bloom throughout the season.  Medium buds.  

Short, bushy.  Medium, matte, medium green foliage.  

The Nymph Series

A new race of China roses has been created by combining the heritage of one of the most significant of China roses from China – ‘The Rose of the Temple of Ten Thousand Camellias’ – with the genes of Rosa clinophylla , which is perhaps the world’s only tropical rose species. We may add that using this tropical rose species in rose breeding, never before attempted, is exceedingly relevant in a warming world. One of the most important results of bringing in new species is that we get very interesting changes, both in flower form and in fragrance in these new lines.

Our Nymph series, beginning with Ganges Nymph, and continuing with many more, is a dramatic illustration of the possibilities of this type ofrose breeding. Ther series are all typically China roses in growth habit and foliage. They also retain the characteristic feature of China roses of the colour deepening with age. But what is new now is the flower form- the quilled petals , sometimes almost resembling a chrysanthemum, of these roses, as well as a distinctive fragrance .

And all of these roses have an aura of impishness, a frolicky naughtiness that one usually attributes to a nymph!!

Hopefully, the Nymph series will also be good roses for warm climates. In this series, starting with ‘Ganges Nymph’, we have ‘Vaigai Nymph’, ‘Pennar Nymph’, ‘Bhavani Nymph’ and ‘Narmada Nymph’, all named for rivers in India.

The River Vaigai runs through the state of Tamil Nadu in south India, and recent archaeological excavations along its banks have revealed the presence of a thriving urban civilization which existed from around 300 B.C.E.

This is a seedling using Rajmahal Petite lilac pink.

A small shrub with medium sized, medium green, matte, China-like foliage with few prickles.