Medieval Roses

• Rosa Alba (Rosa alba) (White Rose of York, Jakobite Rose, Bonny Prince Charley Rose)

  "Cultivated prior to 100 AD"
  White, moderate fragrance, 6-8 ft. tall, orig. var. single 5 petal 2-3" dia. profuse bloom. Hardiness, vigor, happy under all conditions, wet, dry, sun or shade - WO
  Time-Life Enc. of Gard. - Roses 1975; Wild & Old Roses

• Great double white (Rosa alba maxima) (Cheshire or Jakobite Rose)

  "a grand rose of great antiquity"; "about 1450"
  White, muddled centers open as creamy blush which changes to white, to 6ft., lead green leaves in bunches mostly @ top, blooms double, flat, abundant, excellent hips, grows to 7' tall, very fragrant.
  Wild & Old Roses

• White Rose of York (Rosa alba semiplena)

  "prior to 1455?"; "prior to 1473"
  White, with golden yellow stamens; flower nearer single than a semi-double, excellent hips, grows to 6' tall, very fragant.
  Wild & Old Roses

• Hundred-petalled Rose (Rosa centifolia)

  Pliny mentions.
  Great fragrance.
  Modern is not the same (dev. c. 1700); original became extinct in ancient times.
  Lost Roses

• Campanian Rose

  Pliny
  ?Reddish purple blossom, early Spring bloom.
  Possible Cinnamon Rose - R. cinnamomea.
  Lost Roses

• Damask Rose (Rosa damascena) (Rose of Castile)

  "ancient rose from Asia Minor, intro. into Europe 16th C." - T/L; "introduced to Europe in 12th C. (crusades)" "first written reference Virgil 50 B.C." - Taylor's.
  Red, pink or white with occassional stripes, strong fragrance, 4-5 ft tall, double flowers 2 1/2-3 1/2" dia.
  Time-Life Enc. of Gard. - Roses 1975; Taylor's

• Autumn Damask (Rosa damascena bifera) (Rose of Castille, Quatre Saisons)

  "pre-Roman" - WO
  Clear pink, highly scented; loose blossoms, large plant open & thorny with light yellowish grey-green foliage, double flowers; repeat bloom.
  Sunset Roses 1989; Wild & Old Roses

• Autumn Damask (see above) (Rosa damascena semperflorens) (Four Seasons Rose, Rose des Quatre Saisons, Rose of Paestum)

  "unknown"
  Deep pink, moderate fragrance, vigorous 3-4 ft., double to semi-double bloom 3-4" 20 petals; repeat blooms Spring & Fall (blooms almost continuously).
  Time-Life Enc. of Gard. - Roses 1975

• York & Lancaster (Rosa damascena versicolor) (Rosa damascena variegata)

  "1551"; "cultivated prior to 1700"; "first recorded by Monardes in 1551" - WO
  White, pink or combination, fragrant to moderately fragrant, variously described as "3-4' bushy, very bristly and thorny, blooms 2 1/2-3" double 24-30 petals loosely cup shaped; not very vigorous, disease free and winter hardy" and "4-7 ft tall, semi-double flowers, 1 1/2-2 1/2" dia. less than 20 petals, clusters of 3-5 on long stem".
  Taylor's; Time-Life Enc. of Gard. - Roses 1975; Wild & Old Roses

• Eglantine (Rosa eglanteria) (Rosa rubiginosa) (Sweetbrier Rose)

  "Cultivated prior to 1551"
  Pink, apple scented foliage, flower sweet true rose scent; disease free and winter hardy
  Time-Life Enc. of Gard. - Roses 1975, Wild & Old Roses, Taylor's

• (Rosa gallica)

  "Mediterranean, Cretan wall paintings 16th C BC", Pliny - WO
  Clear pink, "delicious" scent.
  Time-Life Enc. of Gard. - Roses 1975, Wild & Old Roses

• Apothecary Rose (Rosa gallica officinalis) (Double French Rose, Red Rose of Lancaster)

  "cultivated prior to 1500"
  Red, strong fragrance,3-5 ft. tall, semi-double bloom 2-3" dia.Time-Life Enc. of Gard. - Roses 1975, Sunset Roses 1989, Wild & Old Roses

• Rosa Mundi(Rosa gallica versicolour)

  "cultivated prior to 1581"; " pre-16th century" - WO
  Striped red, white & pink with yellow stamens, moderate scent, 3 1/2-5 ft tall, semi-double blossom, 2-3" dia.
  Time-Life Enc. of Gard. - Roses 1975, Sunset Roses 1989, Wild & Old Roses

• Milesian Rose

  Pliny
  Fiery red, late spring bloom.
  Possible gallica.
  Lost Roses

• Praeneste Rose

  Pliny
  Last to fade.
  Possible gallica.
  Lost Roses

• Trachinian Rose

  Pliny
  Possible gallica.
  Lost Roses

• Cyrene Rose

  Pliny
  Possible gallica.
  Lost Roses

• Mucetum Rose

  Pliny
  Possible gallica.
  Lost Roses

• Alabandian Rose

  Pliny
  Possible gallica.
  Lost Roses

• Little Greek Rose

  Pliny
  Possible gallica.
  Lost Roses

• Carthage Rose

  Pliny
  Winter Bloom; from Spain.
  Possible gallica.
  Lost Roses

• Prickly Rose

  Pliny
  Lost Roses

• Bramble Rose

  Pliny
  Lost Roses

• (Rosa sempervirens)

  "prior to 1583"?
  a wild rose native to the warmer Mediterranean areas like the south of France
  Lost Roses

• Tuscany (Old Velvet)

  "Introduced 1596 by John Gerard, Catalogus"
  Deep crimson with conspicuous yellow stamen, slight fragrance, 3-4 ft vigorous upright bushes, velvety semi-double bloom 2 1/2-4" dia.Time-Life Enc. of Gard. - Roses 1975; Lost Roses

• (Rosa agrestis)

  Species; native to Europe.

• Field Rose (Rosa arvensis) (English Musk Rose, Ayrshire Rose)

  White, creamy, little or no fragrance; musk ?; 4-5 cm flower, flowers in July, single.
  May be Shakespeare's Musk Rose or White Rose of York
  Wild & Old Roses; Lost Roses

• English Wild Dogrose (Rosa canina)

  "one of Pliny's 12 roses which the Romans knew"
  Very hardy, variable habit; mid-summer flowering, variable colour. Used for understock (root graft stock) for many modern roses.
  Wild & Old Roses

• Austrian Copper (Brier) (Rosa fætida bicolor) (R. lutea punicea)

  "brought to Europe thru Spain by Moors before 13th Century" - T/L; "known prior to 1590, said from Asia Minor via Vienna, hence 'Austrian'" - WO; "before 1590" - Taylor's; " it was grown in the Arab world as early as the 12th C" - Austin.
  Orange (flame)-yellow, heavy aroma, flowers single 5 petal 2-21/2" dia. 4-5 ft tall moderately thorny; apparent susceptibility to Black Spot, not reliably winter hardy.
  Time-Life Enc. of Gard. - Roses 1975; Wild & Old Roses; Taylor's; Austin.

• Musk Rose (Rosa moschata) (Not R. brunonii)

  "prior to 1600"
  White, musk fragrance, single flower, rapid reflex, late summer-autumn, 10-12 ft. Sunny
  Wild & Old Roses; Lost Roses

• Little Chaplet Rose

  Pliny
  VeryAutumn bloom.
  Possible musk rose.
  Lost Roses

• (Rosa nitida)

  Deep Pink with Yellow stamens, 1 1/2-2' high. Eastern Canada & New England
  Wild & Old Roses

• Scottish Wild Rose (Rosa spinosissima) (Burnet Rose; Scotch Briar)

  White or pale pink, exhilarating & fresh scent, widest variation - 9" to 3'; flowers May & June; small blooms, profuse single 5 petal, veryhardy.
  Ranges to Iceland
  Wild & Old Roses; Lost Roses; Taylor's

• Apple Rose (R. villosa) (Pomifera)

  Native to Europe.

• (Rosa woodsii fendleri)

  Clear soft lilac pink flowers with cream stamens, flowers very early in spring. BC to Mexico.
  Wild & Old Roses

• Field Rose (Rosa arvensis) (English Musk Rose, Ayrshire Rose)

  White, creamy, little or no fragrance; musk ?; 4-5 cm flower, flowers in July, single.
  May be Shakespeare's Musk Rose or White Rose of York
  Wild & Old Roses; Lost Roses

• Musk Rose (Rosa moschata) (Not R. brunonii)

  "prior to 1600"
  White, musk fragrance, single flower, rapid reflex, late summer-autumn, 10-12 ft. Sunny
  Wild & Old Roses; Lost Roses

Austin, David. The Heritage of the Rose. n.l.: Antique Collector's
Club, 1988. (ISBN1-85149-020-5)

Christopher, Thomas. In Search of Lost Roses. New York: Summit Books, 1989.

Crockett, James Underwood and the editors of Time-Life Books. Roses. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1978. (Time-Life Encyclopedia of Gardening (series))

DeWolf, Gordon P., ed. Taylor's Guide to Roses. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1986.

Edwards, Gordon. Wild and Old Garden Roses. New York: Hafner Press, 1975.

Editors of Sunset Books and Sunset Magazine. Roses. Menlo Park, CA: Lane Publishing, 1989.

Pickering Nurseries Inc.
670 Kingston Rd.
Pickering, Ontario
Canada L1V 1A6
Catalogue $3.00 (Can OR US funds)

Heirloom Old Garden Roses
24062 Riverside Dr NE
St Paul OR 97137
(503) 538-1576. Catalog $5.

Vintage Gardens

Old Rose Nursery

Regan Nursery

Last updated 2/28/03.