Two very old roses reside on the fenceline of an abandoned house in Mill Valley, California. Most homes on the street date from the 1930's, but this wood frame house was built in 1906. The high school across the street was built in 1908. 'Lady Hillingdon' is on the property as well as a Rosa manetti, 'Perle d'Or,' 'Duchesse de Brabant,' and possibly 'Russelliana.' The roses are about 7 feet tall and consist of a single, very thick, barky basal, although one of the two plants is 10 to 12 feet wide and was grown on a support.

Suggested identifications for "Tamalpais Homestead Tea" have been:

'Adam' - doubtful, since the large, dilated prickles of THT look like late tea or early hybrid tea to me, whereas the rose in commerce as 'Adam' has no prickles and appears identical to 'Mme. Bérard!'). 'Adam's buds aren't identical, either, with its few wild fringes.

'William R. Smith' - probaby not, since the blooms of WRS look so much like 'Maman Cochet,' with a muddled center)

'Baronne Henriette de Snoy' - THT doesn't resemble the images pictured on HelpMeFind, but a grower in Louisiana has show me pictures of blooms which bear a striking resemblance. At least two factors point in this direction: (1) breeding ('Gloire de Dijon' x 'Mme. Lombard') and the resemblance to 'Gloire de Dijon;' and (2) growth habit, which the Vintage Gardens show as the large, rangey tea 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide.

For accurate representation of the color, use Netscape Navigator or download and view with an image editor. Internet Explorer does not accurately represent the color of the blooms by washing out all the buff tones.

Comments and suggestions: email cbernstein@earthlink.net.

Overall appearance : Blooms nod straight down, with color ranging from blush pink to pink and buff. Foliage is very large, even relative to the size of the blooms. Plant size: 7' H x 12' W.
Bloom form: Many petals starting somewhat blush and fading to flesh shades of apricot, buff and cream. Below average tea scent, better indoors. 'Adam' (which may actually by Mme. Berard) has only about 55 petals.
Foliage: Quite large and modern-looking, somewhat olive green, although new foliage looks more tea-like. Terminal leaflet is sometimes twice as large as the bottom pair. Stipules have tiny teeth on the margins with glands on the tips, auricles thin and pointed. Petioles have proportionately large falcate prickles.
Prickles: Mature prickles are dark brown to burgundy and dilated. New prickles are reddish. They resemble the prickles on the late teas 'Lady Hillingdon' and 'Mons. Tillier.' In general, the flowering wood has almost no prickles, while the really impressive armature is found on the basals. Petioles do have 3 or 4 hooked prickles.
Buds: Dark pink stripey reverse, nodding. 'Adam's' buds show similarities. Pedicel is smooth in both. White fuzz appears on the insides of the sepals.
Growth habit: Angular, branching cane structure, but very large. Possibly a climber. Laterals re-emerge from the same node, like a climber. Also, plant appears to have been grown on a trellis. It is very old and not very vigorous.
Hips: Large, not numerous, yellow when ripe.