Roses have been immortalized in both art and history for centuries and have been a part of gardens, large and small. Roses have been used by lovers to demonstrate their love and used for both their aromatic and fragrant properties. Roses have been used as symbols of power and in heraldry; their evolution and development has withstood the test of time from early beginnings.
Paleontologists report that roses evolved 70 million years ago in the Tertiary period, which would pre-date the evolution of humans; however, rose fossils have only been found as far back as 35 million years. One thing is certain though, roses have been around for a long time.
Ancient Roses of China
The Rose is a feature of many European gardens but it is actually an old oriental rose, the China rose, which is one of the oldest species of rose; rose hybrids such as Old Blush and Slater's Crimson date back over 1,000 years and are the result of the hybridization of Rosa chinensis, Rosa gigantea and Rosa multiflora.
Tea roses also share this heritage and include roses such as Park's Yellow Tea-scented China and Hume's Blush Tea-scented China. In the early 19th century, these two species of roses were exported from Southern China to Europe. Modern roses, as known today, originated from these Far Eastern flowers.
Introduction of Roses to Europe
Roses made their way from the Far East to Europe in a number of ways. Alexander the Great was known to make explorations to Asia and probably brought back a number of specimens of roses; the vastness of the Roman Empire meant that roses which were prevalent in Rome made their way to the shores of Great Britain. The Romans were responsible for introducing the dog rose (rosa canina) to Great Britain.
Five groups of cultivated roses had evolved by AD 1200; these were Damask, Alba, Centifolia, Gallica and Scots Rose. In the 19th century, exploration of the 'new' world was dominant and a large number of plants were brought back from more exotic climes; a great number of new rose species were introduced from Eastern Asia. With these new discoveries came the experimentation of cross-pollination by horticulturists and botanists and the birth of the 'modern' rose.
The Development of New Rose Species
The French were credited with many of the new rose species developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, hence some of the names – Bourbon and Noisette, for example. These roses became part of a collective commonly known as Hybrid Teas and included other roses such as Portland and Hybrid Perpetual. The introduction of the roses from the Orient ensured a 'repeat' flowering; although China roses were known to flower more than once in a season, most 'European' varieties had not.
Today, there are many species of roses classified into various groups. These are:-
- Modern Garden Roses (bush, shrub, climbing and miniature roses)
- Old Garden Roses (climbing and non-climbing)
- Wild Roses.
Modern Garden Roses include the Hybrid Teas amongst many others; Old Garden Roses include Damask, Centifolia, Gallica, Alba, China, Tea, Portland, Bourbon and Sweetbrier; Wild roses are classified botanically into four subdivisions, although the collective term is generally used.
References:
Botanica, 1998 Roses New York, USA: Welcome Rain
Quest-Ritson, Charles and Brigid, 2003 The American Rose Society Encyclopedia of Roses New York, USA: DK Publishing
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