It became clear today in discussions between volunteers at the Sacramento Cemetery Historic rose garden, the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden and Fred Boutin, that Bengal Fire and Miss Lowe's Variety are different. This is visible in the photos on this site. Miss Lowe's Variety came from the Huntington to the San Jose garden, and is a pinker color and more rounded petal form than the photos of Bengal Fire. Bengal Fire seems to look more like the painting by Miss Lowe.

Going over Miss Lindsay's Shrub Rose List again it seems that the rose on her list which matches "Bengal Fire" is the rose she was calling "Amoretta". Described as "glittering tulip-flowers of pigeons blood ruby eyed with stars of Indian gold..." Those stars seem to be describing the "tiny brilliant sulfur-shaded yellow center" which Cass describes in 34-357. And from Lindsays description of 'Miss Lowe' it is clear that her 'Amoretta" is a single red China. So now a question is, did Miss Lindsay later, after 1955, rename her "Amoretta" as "Bengal Crimson". Thomas' was aware that his associate "James Russell received from the South of France" a single crimson China labelled as 'Amourette'. Amazingly similar to Miss Lindsay's Amoretta. There seems to be more story here waiting to be discovered.

There are at least two different roses here. Graham Stuart Thomas points out that 'Miss Lowe' has smaller flowers, quilled petals and smaller growth. And I believe this one has paler flower faces darkening with age. Then there is a vigorous, taller growing single red china with "stouter wood and larger and darker flowers than 'Miss Lowe'" This rose is being called by some 'Sanguinea'. But the original 'Sanguinea' was a small very double red China with white stripes. In his Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book p. 126 he tells us that the large vigorous single red China was given the name of 'Bengal Crimson' by Nancy Lindsay. Can anyone confirm this name for a rose offered by Nancy Lindsay? I don't find that name on my copy of The Shrub Rose List of Miss Nancy Lindsay, of 1955.

Produces greenish yellowish hips with 1, 2, 3 or 4 relatively large achenes per hip.