Rose Cuttings – December, 2009

Can you identify these roses?
The answers (left to right): the white bourbon ‘Kronprincessin Viktoria’, the double-form pink shrub ‘Souvenir de St. Anne’s’, and the fragrant, very full ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’.

New Year’s Rose Primer

Quiz

Which of the following is true?
a. Flowers consisting of five petals are called singles.
b. Hips are the fat deposits on the rose bush.
c. Most roses have thorns.
T or F. The largest climbing rose is a White Lady Banks and covers approximately one acre.
What fragrance is not associated with roses?
a. Lemon
b. Pepper
c. Cedar
What rose can grow by water’s edge or in wet soil?
a. ‘Mrs. Anthony Waterer’
b. Rosa palustris
c. ‘Rise ‘n’ Shine’
T or F. By definition, all "old garden roses" were introduced prior to 1867.
In which country have the most rose species been discovered?
a. China
b. England
c. France
Which annuals and perennials are the best companion plants for old garden roses?
a. Dianthus, yarrow and alyssum
b. Daylily, iris and narcissus
c. Foxglove, delphinium and phlox
T or F. Climbing roses bloom only after canes have been through a freeze.
Why are some roses sold grafted onto a rootstock?
a. Some roses are too weak to survive on their own roots.
b. They are easy for growers to produce.
c. They “turn over” quicker.
Which are mutations?
a. ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’ and ‘Souvenir de St. Anne’
b. ‘Duchesse de Brabant’ and ‘Madame Joseph Schwartz’
c. ‘Dr. W. Van Fleet’ and ‘New Dawn’
d. ‘Cecile Brunner’ and ‘Cl. Cecile Brunner’

Answers

A. (B is ridiculous, and C – botanically speaking, roses actually have prickles, not thorns.)
True.  The Tombstone Rose is located in Tombstone, AZ, and houses a restaurant beneath it.
C
B.  Rosa palustris is also known as the Swamp Rose.
F.  There are newly introduced roses that are considered old because they are a part of a class that is recognized as being old (i.e., China roses).
A.  Almost 85 percent of rose species were discovered in China. France is responsible for most of the 19th century rose breeding.
All of the above.
F
All of the above.
All of the above. These mutations illustrate variations in (a) petal count, (b) color, (c) repeat bloom and (d) growth habit.

About the author: Mike Shoup is the owner of the Antique Rose Emporium. Visit his company’s Brenham and San Antonio display gardens for endless ideas on landscaping with roses. To order roses online, visit www.weAREroses.com.