Its large 10–12cm blooms carry up to 100 petals, blending peach to peach-pink tones with a deeper centre and creamy outer petals. Flowers open as deep cups, maturing into loose rosettes with reflexed outer petals, showcasing classic old rose form. It offers moderate fruity fragrance. Individual blooms last 3–5 days and have average rain tolerance. Vigorous and nearly thornless, it bears glossy dark green foliage with strong disease resistance. Named to mark the centenary of A.E. Housman’s poetry collection A Shr Lad. It earned the ARS Best Modern Shrub Award in 2001 and the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 2012.