‘AUSprior’ is the resultant seedling from a cross of two separate unnamed seedlings selected from the breeding facility of David Austin Roses in 1999. This seedling was first selected in July 2000 from which bud eyes were grafted onto Rosa laxa. Further selections took place in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006 with each selection trial material being taken from the preceding trial, and with each selection trial increasing the volume of plants up to 5,000 in 2006 prior to commercialisation in 2007. Through this period all subsequent generations proved stable with no off types observed.

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of shrub rose plant named `AUSprior`, which was originated by crossing two unnamed, unpatented varieties of Rosa hybrida.