For the First Time in 70 Years, a Shrub Wins Without Any Fungicide Sprays; A Mysteriously Colored Floribunda Moves Flower Power to a New Level; and a Winning Hybrid Tea Rose that Benefits Breast Cancer Awareness

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 19, 2008 –All-American Rose Selections’ (AARS, rose.org) three new winning roses for 2009 – Carefree Spirit™, Pink Promise, and Cinco de Mayo™ – represent three different rose classes, and will meet the needs of gardeners nationwide.

For the first time in AARS’ 70-year history, a landscape shrub – Carefree Spirit – flourished for two years without any fungicide spraying to become a Winner. Cinco de Mayo – with its indescribable color – produces big clusters of blooms and stays very clean in climates across the U.S.  And for every Pink Promise hybrid tea sold, a percentage of sales will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation® to help extend women's lives through education about breast cancer and early detection.

“We are truly impressed by this year’s Winners. Each plant brings different, yet desirable qualities to the garden,” said AARS board president, Tom Carruth. “The goal of AARS is to identify the best new roses of the year, and these three are outstanding in the garden and in containers.”

Carefree Spirit™

Recognizing that consumers want roses that are easy to care for, in 2004, AARS stopped spraying fungicides on all shrub roses in its nationwide test gardens.  Carefree Spirit is the first and only landscape shrub to date to endure this real-world testing and prevail as a Winner. This mounding rose produces deep red blossoms with white twinkles in their eyes; the blooms finish pink as they bask in the sun.Carefree Spirit amplifies the disease resistance associated with its Carefree lineage, with more than ten years of hybridization improvement.  Much like its parent rose, Carefree Delight™, which was a All-America Rose Selections Winner in 1996, the petals are beautifully set amongst abundant glossy, dark green foliage, however it has even better disease resistance, habit and blooming power, and will perform well in any area of the country.

Carefree Spirit was hybridized by Jacques Mouchotte, director of research at Meilland International and introduced by Conard-Pyle Co. of West Grove, Penn.

Pink Promise

Pink Promise – a graceful bloomer with long stems for cutting – will promise that your garden is a stunning spectacle this year. Most impressively, the National Breast Cancer Foundation selected this rose to officially represent a continual blooming promise of compassion and awareness. For every Pink Promise plant purchased, a percentage of the sales will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation to help extend women's lives through education and early detection. This hybrid tea’s beauty is enhanced by the contrast of its large pink blossoms set against lush dark green foliage. Along with its stunning appearance, Pink Promise has good disease resistance, and flourishes even in cooler climates. A highly fragrant rose, Pink Promise fills any room with a deliciously fruity scent.  

Pink Promise was hybridized by Jim Coiner and introduced by Coiner Nursery of Lavern, Calif.

Cinco de Mayo™

Cinco de Mayo brings fiesta of flowers to every garden. Mysteriously colored and deliriously novel…it’s an indescribable blending of smoked lavender and rusty red-orange. This festive rose may be impossible to describe but you’ll love the endless bounty of multi-colored clusters sitting amongst clean, glossy green foliage and dark red new growth.  The flowers, which hold well and are fast to repeat, radiate the smell of fresh-cut golden apples.  As an AARS Winner, this floribunda has fantastic disease resistance and has performed exceptionally well across the country with little-to-no care. As the offspring of the 2006 AARS award-winning Julia Child rose, Cinco de Mayo enlivens any garden, and its clean, round habit is ideal for use as a hedge or in a border with mixed perennials.

Cinco de Mayo was hybridized by Tom Carruth and is introduced by Weeks Roses of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

To be chosen as an “AARS Winner,” these three new roses thrived during two years of comprehensive testing in 23 gardens nationwide. In fact, these roses flourished in 15 categories including the ability to resist disease, overall beauty and general ease of maintenance.Each winning rose bears the AARS red-rose seal of approval that ensures gardeners the plants will grow beyond expectations with little maintenance.

About All-America Rose Selections (www.rose.org)
AARS is a nonprofit association of rose growers and introducers dedicated to bringing exceptional, easy-to-grow roses to gardeners across the county. AARS operates the world’s most rigorous plant trial program via a network of more than 20 official test gardens throughout the country and representing all climate zones. This sophisticated evaluation process results in a new crop of AARS winning roses each year, guaranteeing that only the best make it into your garden. AARS strives to identify roses that are easy to grow, and evaluates plants on more than 15 qualities, including disease resistance, vigor and fragrance.  Look for the AARS red rose logo as a seal of approval identifying the best roses on the market.

About the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.® (www.nationalbreastcancer.org) 

The National Breast Cancer Foundation extends women's lives through education about breast cancer and early detection. The organization provides hope to women and families affected by breast cancer through a community of caring support and encouragement that enables those diagnosed with breast cancer to have fulfilling lives during their treatment and afterward.

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