Niphetos (Tearose, Bougère, 1835)
Author: Erich Unmuth
(photo: Erich Unmuth)
Delicate blossoms – robust shrubs: characteristics that have long delighted people, especially when it comes to pure white roses.
Think of the Alba roses f.e. ‘Jeanne d'Arc’ (Vibert, 1818) – powerful, indestructible shrubs, tall climbing rambler roses f.e. ‘Mr. Nickleby’ (Scarman, 2005), powerful climbing roses ‘White Flight’ (Koster, 1923) or repeat-flowering modern shrub roses such as ‘Schneewittchen’ (syn. Iceberg, Kordes, 1958), which, when in full bloom, fully lives up to its English name ‘Iceberg’.
Around 1830, almost 200 years ago, two pure white flowering roses were bred that are still for many rose lovers the epitome of the ‘white rose’ today. To this day, they are admired and planted by them worldwide: ‘Madame Hardy’ (Hardy, 1831) and ‘Niphetos’ (Bougère, 1835). Their contrast impressively demonstrates the great diversity of our cultivated roses.
Robust growth, dense thorns, rough foliage, upright, perfectly shaped, centifolia-like (full quartered) flowers, high frost resistance in 'Mme. Hardy' – delicate, fragile growth, few thorns, glossy foliage, nodding, tea rose-like flowers, frost-sensitive, that is ‘Niphetos’ [1].
Niphetos’ (this illustration is intended to show the shape of the rose rather than its colour). Deutsche Rosen-Zeitung, April 1887.
‘Niphetos’ was first mentioned in the Memoires de la Société d'Agriculture, Sciences et Arts d'Angers 1836
Together with two other tea roses, ‘Niphetos’ was described there as follows:
Culture de M. Bougère, jardinier-fleuriste. (Faubourg Gauvin.)
Niphetos (Thé). Buisson assez vigoureux. 3 à 5 folioles ovales, petites. Pédoncule quadrangulaire, hispidule. Fleur de 3 po. de diam. [8.1 cm], pleine bien faite, d'un blanc pur. Pétales extérieurs larges, ceux du centre étroits et comme chiffonnés. Première floraison 1835. Très belle fleur, remarquable par sa blancheur éclatante.
Raised by M. Bougere, gardener, florist. (Faubourg Gauvin.)
Niphetos (Tea). Fairly vigorous bush. 3 to 5 small oval leaflets. Quadrangular, slightly hairy peduncle. Flower 3 inches in diameter [8.1 cm], full and well formed, pure white. Outer petals broad, central petals narrow and somewhat crumpled. First flowering in 1835. Very beautiful flower, remarkable for its brilliant whiteness. (Trans. Erich Unmuth)
Foubourg-Gauvin is a district of Angers; the region of Angers remains one of the centres of ornamental plant cultivation in France to date. Little is known about Mr. Bougère today; even his first name is unknown. His business primarily focused on the cultivation of pelargoniums, ranunculus and citrus plants. Some rose varieties are known by name, but they did not become widespread and are now lost.
His ‘Niphetos’, on the other hand, proved itself in the 19th century alongside ‘Marechal Niel’ (Castel, 1857) as a forcing and cut rose.
Sixty years after it first bloomed, the “Deutsche Rosenzeitung wrote 1894:
Niphetos, the “white Niel”. In recent years, the cultivation of this highly prized rose has made great strides... Now it cannot be grown enough... Thousands of Niphetos plants are in demand... Since the year of its introduction, it has taken an undisputed first place among all white roses and will continue to hold this position for a long time to come in many respects. (Trans. Erich Unmuth)
At this time, a large number of illustrations can be found in the important periodicals of the day – Deutsche Rosenzeitung, Journals des Roses, Ungarische Rosenzeitung/ Rosza Ujsag – which emphasise the beauty and elegance of this rose's blooms.
In William Paul's book “The Rose Garden”, which has been reprinted repeatedly over the decades, ‘Niphetos’ is listed among the recommended “winter roses”. And it is precisely this, its reliable flowering around the turn of the year, that makes ‘Niphetos’ so popular even today.
‘Niphetos; -Ungarische Rosenzeitung, 1892 with ‘Mlle Franziska Krüger’ (Nabonnand, 1873 and ‘Souvenir de Spa’ (Gautreau, 1872)
‘Niphetos’ - Deutsche Rosenzeitung, 1894 with ‘Papa Gontier’ (Nabonnand, 1882), ‘Comtesse de Frigneuse’ (Guillot, 1885) and ‘Baronne Henriette de Loew’ (Nabonnand, 1888)
‘Niphetos’ -Ungarische Rosenzeitung. 1893 with ‘Souvenir d’Alexander Petöfi’ (Zsednyicsek, 1888) and ‘Danmark’ (Zeiner-Lassen, 1890)
[1] There is a wonderful essay by Martin Stott about Madame Hardy here: Who was Mme Hardy? | Storyteller Garden. In general: Martin Stott's blog regularly features exciting stories and interesting facts for rose lovers.