A wichuraiana hybrid, semi double blooms, slightly fragrant, crimson-maroon with light yellow anthers and blooms in clusters of three or four.
Bred by Captain George C. Thomas of the USA in 1914, and released to the public by Bobbink and Atkins and A.N.Perkins of USA. It was originally named Shafter, but was officially re-named on 4 June 1919 at a meeting of the American Rose Society. Many rose growers in the USA still refer to the rose as Shafter. It has been extensively used as a rootstock in the USA and Australia, due to it very vigourous root growth. It became unpopular in America for a while as it was believed that it was the cause of rose mosaic; i.e. it was felt that a gene in Dr Huey was causing the mosaic to appear on the grafted rose.
The only information I can find on the gentleman it was named after comes from the book “The Old Rose Adventurer” by Brent C. Dickerson, which quotes Dr Robert Huey as writing
“I purchased a home and 2 acres of ground in 1877 and began to try and grow roses. There was then little reliable information to be had and the flowers that resulted, compared most unfavourably with the illustrations in the catalogues, while the plants would die by the dozens. Persevering, I finally met with success, and knowing that many others were thirsting for knowledge, I began writing and talking of my experiences and how my difficulties were overcome, thus doing a sort of rose missionary work.”
Any of you who have bought roses on the basis of a catalogue description would know his feelings.
Where he was born, or lived is a mystery. What was he a Doctor of? Was he a Rosarian in his spare time or did he devote a lifetime to it? Dr. Huey died on 12th March 1928.
