Beloved by Bob Hope, ‘Dainty Bess’ loose clusters of 3-5 single flowers on long stems in flushes throughout the season. Each flower has 5-6 pale pink ruffled petals with a darker underside and open to a cupped-to-flat bloom form. The beauty of the flowers however, does not lie in the petals but in the purple color and form of the stamen filaments that make the over all appearance of the flowers exceptional. An added bonus are the large red hips. The plants are hardy and vigorous, and have well branched prickly stems with dull light green foliage that is prone to black spot.
Type: Hybrid Tea
Origin: Archer, Britain, 1925
Parentage: ‘Ophelia’ x ‘Kitchener of Khartoum’
Flower Size: 3.5-4.3
Petal Count: 5-6
Scent:Light and fruity
Flowering:Flushes
Plant Size:2-5′ H x 2-4′ W
Hardiness: Zones 4-9
ARS Rating: 8.4
Karen Meyers