Question
Hello,

Four ninety years this rose bush has had clustered per end of branch six to eight buds all pink. This year they are now red. It is not a grafted one or that is I can't make out the graft and all stems are from around various other parts of the bush not just in a certain location. Why is the bush now red?

Can someone tell me why? I can understand if the graft died, but what has happened to this one? I even dug it out to check it and what a chore. Yes, I took pity on it and replanted it. It still is pretty and the neighbor had one of the same type a foot from it on the other side of the chain link fence, and that was red. But, I don't see how after all these decades things should change.

Answer

Dr. Huey Roses have a genetic background similar to ours. There can be  many roses that went into breeding a rose. It sounds to me like your rose has sported to another rose in it's genetic makeup. It is called sporting and the red rose is the sport. Sometimes if it is only on one canes or an certain area of the rose, the rose will revert back to it's original colour. As for the new stems growing from various other parts of the rose bush, the understock can sucker and will send up it's own colour. Here is a picture of Dr. Huey, as that would be the under stock that they used on your rose years ago. It is still used now on some roses. See if the roses look anything like the ones on your rose bush.