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Last Updated: Jan 10, 2007 - 10:15:57 AM |
Gosia Wajchert
Roses have been a favorite inhabitant of the garden for many centuries. From ancient Rome to modern America, roses are a perennial favorite for any gardening enthusiast. The sheer number of rose varieties available can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, so we have provided a short list of some of the many varieties of roses available.
Rubiginosa Roses
The Rubiginosa rose, also known as the Sweetbriar rose, is a tall growing rose with a distinctive foliage. The tell tale characteristic of this rose variety is the green apple scent that emanates from the foliage, particularly after a rain. The original sweetbriar rose features single pink or while blossoms. This leads to another distinctive feature of the sweetbriar, its coral red hips, which put on a spectacular show in the fall.
A number of hybrids were produced by Lord Penzance in the 1890's, and these hybrids extended the color range from the original pink and white, although the hybrids lost some of the distinctive scent present in the original variety.
Canina Roses
The Canina or Dog Rose is closely related to the sweetbriar variety, however it does lack the characteristic green apple scented foliage. The hips of this rose were considered effective against bites from rapid dogs. It was this medicinal use that gave the dog rose its name.
The autro-hungarian rose breeder Geschwind took a strong interest in R. canina because of its hardiness, and he produced several varieties of this rose near the end of the 19th century.
Hemispherica Roses
The Hemispherica Rose, or R. hemispherica, has been known since the 1600's, and rose enthusiasts love it for its deep yellow flowers and its beautiful foliage. The hemispherica rose is as renowned for its difficulty to cultivate as it is for its beauty, and it is best suited to growers living in hot dry climate.
Foetida Roses
The Foetida Rose, R. foetida, has long been a favorite of horticulturists and botanists due to its bright coloring, and it is beginning to enter the mainstream of the rose world. The foetida rose played a large role in the production of the Pernetiana roses, which led directly to the modern hybrid tea roses.
The R. foetida plant is actually a large shrub, and the rose is a bright yellow. The bicolor variety is a copper orange color on the inside and yellow on the outside of the petals. The Persian yellow variety is a double yellow. Several hybrid varieties of R. foetida have been produced.
Gosia Wajchert is a garden writer from the UK.
Website: Flowers
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