‘Betty Sherriff’ was described by David Long and Norman Robson in The Plantsman vol. 10, pt.1:1(1998). The description here was taken from that paper, and from living specimens from Alan Hardy. Though the flowers are shaded with pink, they do not give such a pink impression as in the plate accompanying the paper.
Though there is some doubt of its exact history, the original plant of ‘Betty Sherriff’ was raised at Edrom nurseries from seed collected by Ludlow and Sherriff in Bhutan in 1949, and a cutting was planted at George and Betty Sherriff’s garden at Ascreavie. From here it was distributed to the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, and to Hillhurst Farm, Sandling from which the type specimen was taken, as was the plant shown here at Cockermouth castle. Long & Robson consider the plant to be a form of Rosa brunonii. Rosa brunonii itself is reported to be variable in hairiness, and pink forms have been recorded. ‘Betty Sherriff’ is unusual for the species in its complete hairlessness, dark green, not greyish leaves and its pink flowers. The poorly developed hips, small and bright red when ripe, suggest that the plant may be a hybrid. The cultivar ‘La Mortola’ represents an opposite form, with particularly large and hairy, grey-green leaves. Rather tender zone 7, will survive down to –15°C or possibly lower.