The Brain Watkins Garden - Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'

Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’ in Brain Watkins garden

In 1824 the yellow Banksia rose was introduced to England by the plant collector J.D Parks via plants collected from the Calcutta Botanic Garden. The rose originated in the central and western provinces of China and for many centuries was grown there as an amenity garden plant. It was named for Lady Dorothea Banks, wife of Sir Joseph Banks, the eighteenth century botanist who sailed with Captain Cook on the Endeavour and became President of the Royal Society and ex officio director at Kew Gardens. It was reputed to be the first yellow climbing rose to flower in Britain.

Close up of flowers

‘Lutea’ was fully hardy, tolerant to warmer temperatures and soon migrated from Kew Gardens to rose collections throughout the world, including New Zealand. The William Hayes Nursery in Nelson listed both the white and yellow varieties of the banksia rose in their 1860 nursery catalogue.

Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’ is a thornless rambling rose with small glossy toothed leaves and sprays of hanging double yellow flowers reputably with a scent reminiscent of violets. The majority of blossoms appear in spring to early summer and last three to four weeks before falling.

One of the resident doves

It is not known when this rose was planted in the Brain Watkins House garden, however the diameter of the trunk suggests it was some decades ago. The flowers attract bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects, and its tangled mass of branches form a safe habitat for birds in the garden.

The blackbird’s nest

In the spring of 2018, a female blackbird built a nest within the rose canopy. Larger branches provided the supporting foundation framework for her nest. Constructed with plant fibres, moss, string and small strips of plastic, the  nest was skilfully lined with dried mud. One chick successfully fledged.