Altman Plants' Ping Lim receives ‘Best Hybrid Tea’ award

VISTA, Calif.- After two years of trialing, Altman Plants's rosarian, Ping Lim, received an award for his patented rose, "Double 10." The rose was awarded the Pauline Merrell Award for ‘Best Hybrid Tea’ at the 2016 Biltmore International Rose Trials.

The event took place on a clear, pleasant Saturday morning on Sept. 24. An international jury judged the final round of the trials and attendees observed the beautiful varieties of roses displayed at the estate. The family owned Biltmore estates, located in Asheville, N.C., has remained preserved since its construction in 1895 and has trialed roses for the past five years.

The Biltmore International Rose Trials are considered a competitive trial where both amateur and professional hybridizers from around the world submit their rose specimens. Roses are put through a two-year trial and are tested four times per year. The flowers are evaluated based on their resistance to disease, vigor, ability to rebloom annually as well as fragrance.

“The Biltmore is a very competitive trial for rose hybridizers internationally. It is an honor to have our rose specimen win,” said rosarian Ping Lim. “That is one of the main reasons we participated. It holds such value to us.”

Altman Plants entered the “Double 10” based on a voted decision. Curious about the name, Ping Lim answered, “Double 10 means October 10, which is the birthday of the Republic of China,” Ping explained. “It was revealed at a ceremony by the Taiwan Consulate in Houston last October.”

The “Double 10” is a patented rose that has been created for, minimal care, and increased resistance to disease. All patented roses created by Altman Plants are environmentally friendly, which means that the plants are not sprayed.

In the past two years, Altman Plants have received two awards for their rose specimens.

RELATED: Read about the other winners from the trials here.