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What's a Rose ?
A
rose is a flowering shrub of the genus Rosa, and the
flower of this shrub. There are more than a hundred
species of wild roses, all from the northern hemisphere
and mostly from temperate regions. The species form a
group of generally thorny shrubs or climbers, and
sometimes trailing plants, reaching 2–5 m tall, rarely
reaching as high as 20 m by climbing over other plants.
The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through
Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy rhodion (Aeolic
wrodion), from Aramaic wurrdā, from Assyrian wurtinnu,
from Old Iranian *warda (cf. Avestan warda, Sogdian ward,
Parthian wâr).
The leaves of most species are 5–15 cm long, pinnate, with
(3–) 5–9 (–13) leaflets and basal stipules; the leaflets
usually have a serrated margin, and often a few small
thorns on the underside of the stem. The vast majority of
roses are deciduous, but a few (particularly in southeast
Asia) are evergreen or nearly so.
The flowers of most species roses have five petals (with
the exception of Rosa sericea which often has only four),
usually white or pink, in a few species yellow or red. The
ovary is inferior, developing below the petals and sepals.
Rosa canina hipsThe aggregate fruit of the rose is a
berry-like structure called a rose hip. Rose species that
produce open-faced flowers are attractive to pollinating
bees and other insects, thus more apt to produce hips.
Many of the domestic cultivars are so tightly petalled
that they do not provide access for pollination. The hips
of most species are red, but a few (e.g. Rosa
pimpinellifolia) have dark purple to black hips. Each hip
comprises an outer fleshy layer, the hypanthium, which
contains 5–160 "seeds" (technically dry single-seeded
fruits called achenes) embedded in a matrix of fine, but
stiff, hairs. Rose hips of some species, especially the
Dog Rose (Rosa canina) and Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa), are
very rich in vitamin C, among the richest sources of any
plant. The hips are eaten by fruit-eating birds such as
thrushes and waxwings, which then disperse the seeds in
their droppings. Some birds, particularly finches, also
eat the seeds.
Most roses have thorns or prickles. The thorns are
typically sickle-shaped hooks, which aid the rose in
hanging onto other vegetation when growing over it. Some
species such as Rosa rugosa and R. pimpinellifolia instead
have densely packed straight spines, probably an
adaptation to reduce browsing by animals, but also
possibly an adaptation to trap wind-blown sand and so
reduce erosion and protect their roots (both of these two
species grow naturally on coastal sand dunes). Despite the
presence of the thorns, roses are frequently browsed by
deer. A few species of roses only have vestigial thorns
that have no points.
How to cultivate Rose ?
Roses are
one of the most popular garden shrubs and are also among
the most common flowers sold by florists. Roses are of
great economic importance both as a crop for florists' use
and for use in perfume.
Many thousands of rose hybrids and cultivars have been
bred and selected for garden use, mostly double-flowered
with many or all of the stamens mutated into additional
petals. As long ago as 1840 a collection numbering over
one thousand different cultivars, varieties and species
was possible when a rosarium was planted by Loddiges
nursery for Abney Park Cemetery, an early Victorian garden
cemetery and arboretum in England. Twentieth-century rose
breeders generally emphasized size and color, producing
large, attractive blooms with little or no scent. Many
wild and "old-fashioned" roses, by contrast, have a strong
sweet scent.
Roses thrive in temperate climates, though certain species
and cultivars can flourish in sub-tropical and even
tropical climates, especially when grafted onto
appropriate root-stock.
There is no single system of classification for garden
roses. In general, however, roses are placed in one of
three main groups:
Wild Roses - The wild roses includes the species listed
above and some of their hybrids.
Old Garden Roses - Most old garden roses are classified
into one of the following (ordered by approximate age -
oldest first):
Alba - Literally "white roses", derived from R. arvensis
and the closely allied R. alba. These are some of the
oldest garden roses, probably brought to Great Britain by
the Romans. Once-flowering. Examples: 'Semi-plena', 'White
Rose of York'.
Gallica - The Gallica roses have been developed from R.
gallica which is a native of central and southern Europe.
They flower once in the summer. Examples: 'Cardinal de
Richelieu', 'Charles de Mills', 'Rosa Mundi' (R. gallica
versicolor).
Damask - Robert de Brie is given credit for bringing them
from Persia to Europe sometime between 1254 and 1276.
Summer Damasks (crosses between Gallica roses and R.
phoenicea) bloom once in summer. Autumn Damasks (Gallicas
crossed with R. moschata) bloom later, in the autumn.
Examples: 'Ispahan', 'Madame Hardy'.
Centifolia (or Provence) - These roses, raised in the
seventeenth century in the Netherlands, are named for
their "one hundred" petals. Once-flowering. Examples: 'Centifolia',
'Paul Ricault'.
Moss - Closely related to the centifolias, these have a
mossy excrescence on the stems and sepals. Once-flowering.
Example: 'Comtesse de Murinais', 'Old Pink Moss'.
China - The China roses brought with them an amazing
ability to bloom repeatedly throughout the summer and into
late autumn. Four China roses ('Slater's Crimson China',
1792; 'Parsons' Pink China', 1793; 'Hume's Blush China',
1809; and 'Parks' Yellow Tea Scented China', 1824) were
brought to Europe in the late eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries which brought about the creation of the repeat
flowering old garden roses and later the modern garden
roses. Examples: 'Old Blush China', 'Mutabilis'.
Portland - These are named after the Duchess of Portland
who received (from Italy in 1800) a rose then known as R.
paestana or 'Scarlet Four Seasons' Rose' (now known simply
as 'The Portland Rose'). This group was developed from
that rose. Repeat-flowering. Example: 'James Veitch',
'Rose de Rescht', 'The Portland Rose'.
Bourbon - They originated on l'Île de Bourbon (now called
Réunion). Probably the result of a cross between the
Autumn Damask and the 'Old Blush China'. Introduced in
France in 1823. Repeat-flowering. Examples: 'Louise Odier',
'Mme. Pierre Oger', 'Zéphirine Drouhin'.
Hybrid Perpetual - The dominant class of roses in
Victorian England, they were derived to a great extent
from the Bourbons. Repeat-flowering. Examples: 'Ferdinand
Pichard', 'Reine Des Violettes'.
Tea - The result of crossing two of the original China
Roses ('Hume's Blush China' and 'Parks' Yellow Tea Scented
China') with various Bourbons and Noisette roses. Somewhat
more tender than other old garden roses (most likely
because of R. gigantea in the ancestry of the Parks rose),
teas are repeat-flowering roses although their fragrance
is not always a tea scent. Example: 'Lady Hillingdon'.
Bermuda "Mystery" Roses - A group of several dozen "found"
roses that have been grown in Bermuda for at least a
century. The roses have significant value and interest for
those growing roses in tropical and semi-tropical regions,
since they are highly resistant to both nematode damage
and the fungal diseases that plague rose culture in hot,
humid areas, and capable of blooming in hot and humid
weather. Most of these roses are likely Old Garden Rose
cultivars that have otherwise dropped out of cultivation,
or sports thereof. They are "mystery roses" because their
"proper" historical names have been lost. Tradition
dictates that they are named after the owner of the garden
where they were rediscovered.
Miscellaneous - There are also a few smaller classes (such
as Scots, Sweet Brier) and some climbing classes of old
roses (including Ayrshire, Climbing China, Laevigata,
Sempervirens, Noisette, Boursault, Climbing Tea, and
Climbing Bourbon). Those classes with both climbing and
shrub forms are often grouped together.
Modern Garden Roses - Classification of modern roses can
be quite confusing because many modern roses have old
garden roses in their ancestry and their form varies so
much. The classifications tend to be by growth and
flowering characteristics, such as "large-flowered shrub",
"recurrent, large-flowered shrub", "cluster-flowered",
"rambler recurrent", or "ground-cover non-recurrent". Many
of the most popular modern cultivars can however be
assigned to one of these two groups:
Hybrid Tea - The favourite florist's rose, with typically
one to at most five or six large flowers per stem, the
flower with numerous tightly arranged petals with reflexed
tips (see photo, right). They are favoured in small
gardens in formal situations, and for buttonhole roses.
Examples: 'Peace', 'Mr. Lincoln'
Floribunda - Flowers often smaller, in large clusters of
ten or more (often many more) on each stem. These tend to
give a more prominent display from a distance, so are more
often used in large bedding schemes in public parks and
similar spaces. Examples: 'Dainty Maid', 'Iceberg',
'Tuscan Sun'.
What are
the different species of roses?
Rosa canina -
Dog Rose, Briar Bush
Rosa dumalis - Glaucous Dog Rose
Rosa eglanteria (syn. R. rubiginosa) - Eglantine, Sweet
Brier
Rosa gallica - Gallic Rose, French Rose
Rosa gigantea (syn. R. x odorata gigantea)
Rosa glauca (syn. R. rubrifolia) - Redleaf Rose
Rosa laevigata (syn. R. sinica) - Cherokee Rose, Camellia
Rose, Mardan Rose
Rosa multiflora - Multiflora Rose
Rosa persica (syn. Hulthemia persica, R. simplicifolia)
Rosa roxburghii - Chestnut Rose, Burr Rose
Rosa rugosa - Rugosa Rose, Japanese Rose
Rosa stellata - Gooseberry Rose, Sacramento Rose
Rosa virginiana (syn. R. lucida) - Virginia Rose
History of roses
The rose
has always been valued for its beauty and fragrance and
has a long history of symbolism and meaning. The ancient
Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses
of love (Aphrodite and Venus). In Rome a wild rose would
be placed on the door of a room where confidential matters
were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose",
means to keep a secret—derived from this ancient Roman
practice.
Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose
with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this
interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it
because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan
ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of
the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came
to be associated with the Virgin Mary.
Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800's
with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from
China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses
developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for
lack of thorns.
Common diseases of
rose bush
Roses are
subject to several diseases. The most serious is rose rust
(Phragmidium mucronatum), a species of rust fungus, which
can defoliate the plant. More common, though less
debilitating, are rose black spot, caused by the fungus
Diplocarpon rosae, which makes circular black spots on the
leaves in summer, and powdery mildew, caused by
Sphaerotheca pannosa. Roses are also used as food plants
by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species; see list of
Lepidoptera which feed on Roses.
These fungal diseases are best solved by a preventative
spray program rather than by trying to cure an infection
after it is visible
Meanings of Roses
According to
the Victorian "Language of flowers", different coloured
roses each have their own symbolic meaning:
Red: love
Pink: grace, lesser feelings of love
Dark Pink: gratitude
Light Pink: admiration, sympathy
White: innocence, purity, secrecy, friendship, reverence
and humility.
See also: White Rose
Yellow: Yellow roses generally mean dying love or platonic
love. In German-speaking countries, however, they can mean
jealousy and infidelity.
Yellow with red tips: Friendship, falling in love
Orange: passion
Burgundy: beauty
Blue: mystery
Further information: blue rose
Green: calm
Black: slavish devotion (as a true black rose is
impossible to produce)
Purple: protection (paternal/maternal love)
Mythology and superstition related to roses
In some
pagan mythologies, no undead or ghostly creatures
(particularly vampires) may cross the path of a wild rose.
It was thought that to place a wild rose on a coffin of a
recently deceased person would prevent them from rising
again.
Since the earliest times, the rose has been an emblem of
silence:
In Greek Mythology, Eros presents a rose to the god of
silence.
In a Celtic folk legend, a wandering, screaming spirit was
silenced by presenting the spirit with a wild rose every
new moon.
Roses were used in very early times as a very potent
ingredient in love philters.
According to Indian mythology, one of the wives of Vishnu
was found inside a rose.
In Rome it was often customary to bless roses on "Rose
Sunday".
Amongst Muslims, it is still believed that the first rose
was created from a tear of the prophet Mohammed, and it is
further believed that on a certain day in the year the
rose has a heart of gold.
In Scotland, if a white rose bloomed in autumn it was a
token of an early marriage.
The red rose, it is believed by many religions, cannot
grow over a grave.
Rose leaves thrown into a burning flame are said to give
good luck.
If a young girl had more than one lover, it is believed in
one mythology, she should take rose leaves and write the
names of her lovers upon them before casting them into the
wind. The last leaf to reach the ground would bear the
name of the lover whom she should marry.
It is believed that if a rose bush were pruned on St.
John's Eve, it would be guaranteed to bloom in the autumn.
Growing Nostalgic "Old
Roses" In Your Garden
By
Simonetta Jensen
"Old Roses"
Convey Time Honored Tradition
In the 18th Century, the practice of
tending rose bushes was popular and a handy source for
young men to offer as gifts during courtship. These roses
were not only beautiful to admire and richly fragrant but
also highly symbolic of an unwritten and often unspoken
language between admirers. In ancient times, some even
believed that these roses contained medicinal properties.
Most of these "old roses" came from hardy shrubs that
required moderate tending. Today's "old rose" varieties
are also for the most part hardy but require consistent
attention before you'll achieve a seasoned gardener's
level of perfection.
The category of "old roses" is from a
hardy stock of rose bushes and climbers that were popular
in the Victorian age. Most of these Victorian-age roses
were imported from varieties that were first grown in
Greece and Persia during the 15th Century. These aromatic
roses are still highly popular in today's gardens since
they grow well in several zones and don't require the same
highly detailed attention as many hybrid roses.
To select an "old rose" for your
garden, begin by examining your garden area and figuring
out what roses work in that area. For instance, some "old
roses" bushes work best as hedges while others prefer to
crawl low as bed covers. Many climbers first look like
small bushes but climb well up patios, sides of homes, and
fences. Some other factors to think about when picking and
arranging "old roses" are drainage, sunlight, shading, and
insects. Most "old roses" must be watered very frequently
on a daily basis. Sunlight is needed for about five hours
a day for most "old rose" shrubs
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