Roses are often thought of as being quintessentially English but our friends in the USA also have cultivars dating back to the 1800's which they are doing their utmost to trace and record.
Thought to be native of Asia, the rose could have been in cultivation over 5000 years ago and fossil records show that they may be some 35 million years old.
Now there are over 30,000 species of Rose all over the world and an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer shows how "Rose Rustlers" are scouring their countryside for signs of heritage roses in need of preservation and propagation.
Many heritage rose varieties bloom for only a few weeks of the year and often have the most powerful perfumes but these have given way to the modern varieties which have larger blooms and longer flowering periods and although some still have tremendous fragrance, they usually struggle to meet that of their ancestral varieties.
Along with human colonisation of the Unites States came many varieties of plant, including the rose and the Heritage Rose Foundation aims to find as many of these as possible.
The Heritage Rose Foundation is a US nonprofit organization established in 1986, devoted to the preservation of old roses and their website has a wealth of Information, many images and even a database of public rose gardens around the world.
Goals of the Heritage Rose Foundation
- The collection of roses originating in the nineteenth century or earlier and roses with particular historic, educational, or genetic value (heritage roses).
- Establishment of one or more gardens wherein heritage roses may be grown and displayed.
- Advancement of research and investigations into heritage rose history, identification, genetics and breeding, propagation, diseases and pests, and suitability for landscape use.
- Publishing and dissemination of information about heritage roses, including any and all research that emanates from the foundation.
- Establishment and maintenance of a library of books, periodicals, research papers, manuscripts, catalogues, and other items to facilitate further research and investigation into heritage roses.
- Encouraging public knowledge and perception of heritage roses through seminars, meetings, forums, panels, lectures, tours and exhibits.
More information
The World Federation of Rose Societies
The Heritage Rose Foundation
Heritage Roses in Australia
The Thomas Jefferson Centre for Historic Plants
The Royal National Rose Society
Canadian Rose Society
