Cut-flower HTTheo Segers; Preesman Royalty, 1999Bicolour

High Magic

CORRECTION: the working notes had Tantau — in fact it is Preesman (Netherlands); the colour is yellow with orange-red edges (not the other way round); first sales in Kenya in 2004, Australia in 2006.

Magic series · Preesman

Variety profile Gardeners' photos

Variety profile

Flowering

Repeat flowering; in a greenhouse — year-round

Origin

Preesman

1999 · Kenya/Ecuador glasshouses · commercial cut-flower

Winter hardiness

−12 °C

USDA zone 7+. Bred for cutting, but it also grows in the garden: in the Forest-Steppe and Steppe with light cover, further north with full cover.

Compare reference temperatures

Plant size

60 × 50 cm

Habit: Upright, compact — a typical cut-flower HT; in a greenhouse, a commercial bush with long stems for cutting
Dimensions: ~60 cm tall × ~50 cm wide as a patio plant; in a greenhouse up to 1.2 m
Support: No support needed
Shoots: Strong, straight, with long commercial stems of 40–70 cm
Branching: Good

Flower

9–10 cm

Bud shape: Elongated, high-centred, mainly yellow with orange edges
Open flower: Classic hybrid tea goblet-shaped form; diameter 9–10 cm
Centre: A bright yellow centre, visible when the flower is fully open
Fullness: Full, 26–30 petals
Flower carriage: Singly on a stem — a classic cut-flower HT

Fragrance

Barely noticeable

Barely noticeable — typical of modern cut-flower varieties (bred for vase life, not for scent).

Disease resistance

4 out of 5

Powdery mildewresistant

High — a greenhouse commercial selection; USDA 7+ — bred for cutting, but it also grows in the garden: in the Forest-Steppe and Steppe with light cover, in the north with full cover; winter hardiness is moderate.

Sun

Full sun to bring out the bicolour

Thorns

Few

thornlessfewmoderatemanyvery many

Few prickles — the commercial standard for cut flowers.

Foliage

Dark green, leathery, healthy.

Other names

High & Magic

All characteristics in a table

Group: Cut-flower HT
Breeder: Theo Segers; Preesman Royalty, Netherlands, 1999
Bud shape: Elongated, high-centred, mainly yellow with orange edges
Open flower: Classic hybrid tea goblet-shaped form; diameter 9–10 cm
Centre: A bright yellow centre, visible when the flower is fully open
Colour: A sunny bicolour: a yellow base to the petals with orange-red edges; the contrast is emphasised as the flower opens, and the tone deepens in the sun
Fullness: Full, 26–30 petals
Flower carriage: Singly on a stem — a classic cut-flower HT
Flowering: Repeat flowering; in a greenhouse — year-round
Fragrance: Barely noticeable — typical of modern cut-flower varieties (bred for vase life, not for scent)
Hips: Not documented (constant cutting interrupts it)
Habit: Upright, compact — a typical cut-flower HT; in a greenhouse, a commercial bush with long stems for cutting
Branching: Good
Shoots: Strong, straight, with long commercial stems of 40–70 cm
Thorns: Few prickles — the commercial standard for cut flowers.
Dimensions: ~60 cm tall × ~50 cm wide as a patio plant; in a greenhouse up to 1.2 m
Support: No support needed
Foliage: Dark green, leathery, healthy
Resistance: High — a greenhouse commercial selection; USDA 7+ — bred for cutting, but it also grows in the garden: in the Forest-Steppe and Steppe with light cover, in the north with full cover; winter hardiness is moderate
Variations of the variety: Code CROhimagi; synonym High & Magic; parentage Unnamed Seedling P 203 (orange) × Unnamed Seedling 98-421 (yellow)

Colour scheme

A sunny bicolour: a yellow base to the petals with orange-red edges; the contrast is emphasised as the flower opens, and the tone deepens in the sun

Rose neighbours

Fire Flashyellow-red

Friesiadeep yellow

Gartenspaßorange-yellow

Blue for Yousmoky purple · contrast

Perennials to plant nearby

Lavender 'Munstead'lavender

Delphinium 'Pacific Giant'blue

Stachys byzantina (lamb's ear)silver

Salvia 'Caradonna'purple

Neighbouring roses

A warm, sunny palette — in the garden or in a bouquet:

Fire Flash Friesia Gartenspaß Blue for You

Companion perennials

Violet-blue accents — a classic contrast to the yellow-orange:

lavender 'Munstead'delphinium 'Pacific Giant'Stachys byzantina (lamb's ear)salvia 'Caradonna'

Availability worldwide

A global cut-flower variety — broad presence in florist trade:

🇪🇺 Europe: HIGH · Dutch glasshouses · Royal FloraHolland
🇺🇸 USA: high · Rio Roses · florists
🇯🇵 Asia: moderate
🇺🇦 Ukraine: HIGH · sold as spray/patio plants · florist trade

More about the variety

Hips: Not documented (constant cutting interrupts it)
Variations of the variety: Code CROhimagi; synonym High & Magic; parentage Unnamed Seedling P 203 (orange) × Unnamed Seedling 98-421 (yellow)

How to grow

Where to plant. Containers on a terrace, borders in warm colours, formal groups; as a cut flower for bouquets; in greenhouses — commercial production. It pairs beautifully with purple perennials.

Climate. USDA 7+, down to −12 °C. Bred for greenhouses, it also overwinters in open ground: in the Forest-Steppe and Steppe with light cover, and in the north with full cover. Winters vary, and in harsh snowless years some dieback is possible, so reliable cover is never unnecessary.

Care. Classic HT — prune in spring; removing spent blooms encourages new flushes; standard seasonal disease prevention; in the garden, the base of the bush must be mounded up and covered for winter.

About the name

Name. 'High Magic' — English for 'high magic'. 'High' refers to 'high-stem', the professional term for cut roses with long stems (60–70 cm), created specially for floristry. 'Magic' is a commercial series of Preesman/Theo Segers varieties, to which several bicolour HTs belong.

Breeding. MAJOR CORRECTION: the working notes had the hypothesis 'Tantau'; in fact it is Preesman Royalty B.V., Netherlands. Breeder: Theodorus Adrianus (Theo) Segers. Bred in 1999; EU patent 2004, AU 2009. Code CROhimagi. Parentage: Unnamed Seedling P 203 (orange) × Unnamed Seedling 98-421 (yellow); both parents are unnamed experimental lines from Preesman.

Significance. Preesman Royalty B.V. is the leading Dutch breeder of cut roses for the global market. High Magic reaches the markets of Europe and the USA through greenhouses in Kenya (Sun Spray Roses, Naivasha), Ecuador and Ethiopia. On the Ukrainian market, as plants, it is sold as a 'spray/patio' rose, a small sunny rose for containers. NOT to be confused with 'Magic Carpet' (another Preesman variety) or 'Magic' (Meilland HT 1957).

Frequently asked questions about High Magic

Does High Magic need winter protection?

The cultivar’s reference temperature is −12 °C (USDA zone 7+). Overwintering depends on the conditions. Bred for cutting, but it also grows in the garden: in the Forest-Steppe and Steppe with light cover, further north with full cover.

How many times a season does High Magic flower?

Repeat flowering; in a greenhouse — year-round.

How big does High Magic grow?

About 60 cm tall, about 50 cm wide.

Which diseases affect High Magic?

Overall resistance: 4 out of 5. High; greenhouse selection; strong against powdery mildew and black spot.

How much sun does High Magic need?

Sun; full sun to bring out the bicolour.

What does High Magic smell like?