Could rose gardens possibly have grown alongside the great pyramids? The historical roots of the rose can be traced all the way back to antiquity, and evidence of rose cultivation has been found in Egypt at least since the fourth century B.C.
Through the ages, 150 different species have been developed by enthusiasts around the globe. They all belong to the botanical genus Rosa which is part of the family known as Rosaceae.
Some of the rose’s familiar relations in this large and diverse grouping are the apple, the cherry, the strawberry, and even the almond.
The rose grows throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from China to the Americas; and although it is the official flower of the United States as a whole and of Iowa, New York, North Dakota, and the District of Columbia in particular, it originated in the Old World.
Most wild roses (which are also known as species roses to distinguish them from hybrids), were the first growing in Asia, and came to America by way of Europe.
The celebrated French rose, or Rosa gallica was first found growing wild in France.
Even though species roses are still popular, most roses grown today are hybrids. Hybrids are produced by crossbreeding two existing species, whether they are wild or hybrids themselves, which enables breeders to create new roses that combine the best qualities of their parents.
One of the first such sensations in the rose-growing world was the hybrid perpetual, introduced in the 1860’s.
Another gardeners’ favorite, the tea rose (Rosa odorata), produced more lavish blossoms and enjoyed a long blooming season. It grew on a two-foot-tall bush that freely yielded clusters of white, pink, or yellow blooms. Its striking, spicy scent, which suggested its nickname, provided an added attraction. Tea roses were originally brought to Europe from China.
Enterprising hybridizers who wanted the best of both worlds arrived at a solution; crossing the hybrid perpetual with the tea rose. Bred together, these two varieties produced the hybrid tea.
It is a freely blooming plant with a more elegantly tapered silhouette than its many-petaled ancestors. Its blossoms are characterized by high, pointed centers, on which they are judged in horticultural competitions. The hybrid tea is the most popular rose species in the world today.
It is a Valentine’s Day bestseller at every florist’s shop; one dozen long stemmed roses invariably consist of twelve perfect hybrid tea blooms.
Hybrid perpetuals put out large, lush blossoms in white, pink, or red, but the secret of the plant’s success with gardeners was its hardness; it proved unusually resistant to cold temperatures.
As sturdy and as lovely as the hybrid perpetual was, it did not bloom profusely enough to satisfy enthusiasts.
