Commercially available

7 favorite votes.  

Medium red Floribunda.
Registration name: Bhagmati ™
Exhibition name: Bhagmati ™

Bred by M.S. Viraraghavan (India, before 1977).
Introduced in India by KSG Sons/KSG's Roses in 1977 as 'Bhagmati'.

Floribunda.  

Red, yellow undertones.  Mild fragrance.  15 to 20 petals.  Average diameter 2.75".  Medium, semi-double to double, cupped bloom form.  Blooms in flushes throughout the season.  Ovoid buds.  

Short, bushy.  Glossy, light green foliage.  

USDA zone 6b through 9b (default).  

This was a rose bred and named when we lived in the Central Indian city of Hyderabad, in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, when Viru was still working for the Government , in the State of the then Andhra Pradesh, of which Hyderabad is the capital city.
Bhagmati was the name of a legendary Queen of Hyderabad in bygone days, during what is called the Golconda Qutb Shahi period of Deccan history in the 16th century. (This area of central India, which lies on a plateau at about average 3000 feet elevation is called the ‘Deccan Plateau). Bhagmati was a beautiful Hindu courtesan, and the young 14 year old Muslim prince, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, heir to the throne, fell madly in love with her, though she was much older. Despite the strictures of family and court, for they were of different religious persuasions, there was an age difference, they were from different social strata – he an aristocrat, she but a dancing girl – the young prince was adamant about marrying her. When he nearly forfeited his life, by crossing a flooded and turbulent river to reach her village to ensure that she was safe, his father reluctantly relented. When Muhammad became Sultan, he named the new city he built as ‘Bhagyanagar’ – ‘Bhagya’ in Sanskrit means ‘fortune’ and ‘nagar’ means city. When Bhagmati converted to Islam and became Hyder Mahal, the city’s name was changed to ‘Hyderabad (’bad’- pronounced ‘baad’)
Our rose ‘Bhagmati’ is a bi-colored rose-- red with white reverse, and with yellow at the throat, a floribunda, and when the plant which has bright green foliage, is covered with blooms , it makes for a very eye-catching and vibrant picture, much like what we imagine the Queen Bhagmati would have made.