Foetida Bicolor

Whether it was the best or the worst thing to ever happen to roses, it was inevitable. At the start of the twentieth century Pernet Ducher crossed a number of hybrid teas and other roses with Rosa foetida bicolor. This produced a whole line of yellow, orange, and red flowered roses. It also made virtually every rose bred in the twentieth century a victim of black spot.

Today we are beginning to dig ourselves out of this hole. And there are a few good-looking red, orange, and yellow roses that have good disease resistance.

It's a little hard to see, because the sun is shining through the petals, but the back sides of the petals are yellow while the fronts are red. Most of the reverse bicolors can trace that trait back to this rose as well.