Roots and Routes

Rosa ‘George Burns’

• Introduced by Weeks Roses in 1996
• Bred by Tom Carruth
• Class: Floribunda
• Stripes of deep red and lemon yellow, changing to rose pink and cream
• Strong citrus-like fragrance
• Parentage: Calico and Roller Coaster

The George Burns rose produces a mix of colors all at once. Some blooms are deep red and lemon yellow, while others are rose pink and cream. The color mix changes with the weather, with cooler days bringing out more yellow, so the plant looks different from week to week.

Created by American rose breeder Tom Carruth in 1996, this striped floribunda rose was named for legendary comedian George Burns, who that year had just passed away shortly after celebrating his 100th birthday.

George Burns was one of the rare entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film, and television. He performed along with his wife Gracie Allen as the famed comedy duo Burns and Allen from the 1920’s until her retirement from entertainment upon the filming of the final episode of their half-hour sitcom “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show,” which aired on CBS from 1950-58. At the age of 79, he had a major comeback as an elder statesman of comedy, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 1975 film “The Sunshine Boys.”