| istory of cultivated roses goes back thousands of | | | | were symbolized by white and red roses |
| years. According to fossil evidence, rose plants | | | | respectively. |
| have existed for approximately 35 million years | | | | During the sixteenth century, roses and rose |
| old. The genus Rosa has some 150 species spread | | | | water were valued so highly that they were used |
| throughout the world. | | | | as barter for goods. |
| Wild roses are hardy and adaptable plants which | | | | With the rise of mercantilism during the |
| grow in conditions ranging from swampy to arid, | | | | Renaissance, horticultural commerce flourished. |
| and can tolerate extreme climates of the | | | | Due to their fleet of trading ships, the Dutch were |
| northern hemisphere. Alberta, a province of | | | | leaders in the trade of tulips, hyacinths, carnations |
| Canada where winter temperatures often reach | | | | and of course roses. |
| -40 degrees, has as its provincial flower the wild | | | | The eighteenth century also saw a great advance |
| rose, a small wild variety with dark pink blossoms | | | | in rose cultivation: the widespread growing of |
| and a delicate scent. | | | | roses from seed rather than just the propagation |
| Domestic cultivation of roses began more than | | | | of cuttings. The varieties of roses available quickly |
| 5,000 years ago in China. Wreaths of Damask-like | | | | expanded from just a few dozen to one or two |
| roses have been found in Egyptian tombs. | | | | hundred. Also, a whole new group, the Centifolias, |
| Frescoes of the Minoan Crete culture show roses. | | | | was created by Dutch plant breeders. |
| Roses were cultivated extensively in the Middle | | | | In the 1800's, Napoleon's wife Josephine kept a |
| East during Roman times, their petals used as | | | | large rose garden at Chateau de Malmaison, an |
| confetti at celebrations, for medicinal purposes | | | | estate seven miles west of Paris. The botanical |
| and perfume. Roman nobility kept large public rose | | | | illustrator Pierre Joseph Redoute used this garden |
| gardens in the south of Rome, where they used | | | | as the setting for his famous 1824 watercolor |
| hot-houses to "force" roses into bloom at desired | | | | botanical painting collection "Les Roses". Josephine |
| times, and they also imported roses from Egypt. | | | | also provided imperial patronage to several French |
| After the fall of the Roman Empire, the cultivation | | | | rose breeders, notably Dupont and Descemet, |
| of roses spread throughout Europe. | | | | who developed hundreds of new cultivars out of |
| European roses are classified as Albas, Centifolias, | | | | the European rose groups. |
| Damasks, Damask Perpetuals, Gallicas, and | | | | The large, spectacular roses seen at flower |
| Mosses. Mainstream Oriental roses are Chinas and | | | | shows today are derived from cultivars |
| Tea Roses. The European varieties, with the | | | | introduced from China to Europe in the eighteenth |
| exception of the Damask Perpetuals, have one | | | | century. These plants were continuous bloomers, |
| season of bloom per year, while the Orientals | | | | making them unsual and of great value to plant |
| bloom more or less continuously. | | | | hybridizers. These roses were interbred with |
| England is the country most associated with rose | | | | existing European roses to produce plants with |
| cultivation. The damp, mild climate combined with | | | | both hardiness and long flowering season. |
| the perenially cloudy weather produces the best | | | | In the 1830's, horticulturists experimented |
| color in roses, which tend to have "bleached"colors | | | | intensely with interbreeding Oriental and European |
| in bright sunlight. Beautiful English women are often | | | | roses. Due to the fact that the trait of |
| described as English roses. | | | | repeat-blooming is recessive, the first generation |
| Roses feature extensively in British historical | | | | of progeny between single-bloom and |
| symbolism, and many family coats of arms | | | | repeat-bloom roses are all single-blooming. |
| feature roses. In heraldry, the rose is the symbol | | | | However, as these are crossed with each other |
| of the seventh son, hope and joy. A red rose | | | | and back to the original Orientals and Europeans, |
| symbolizes grace nd beauty, a white rose, hope | | | | repeat-blooming hybrids emerge. By the 1840's |
| and faith. | | | | numerous new varieties had been created, called |
| In the Middle Ages, roses retained their use in | | | | "Hybrid Perpetuals" for their perpetual blooming. |
| both public and religious festivals, and were also | | | | These cultivars came in all colors and forms, were |
| kept in medicinal gardens. Their use in herbology | | | | all at least somewhat reblooming, and hardy |
| as well as a demand for their fragance led to a | | | | enough to withstand the northern European |
| cottage industry of rose-essence distillation, which | | | | climate. Interest in the original varieties of roses |
| still has economic importance in some areas of | | | | waned, except as a sentimental interest to |
| Europe such as Bulgaria. | | | | heirloom rose fanciers. The gaudy new artificial |
| The fifteenth century "War of the Roses" was so | | | | hybrids are now held up as the flower-show |
| named because the York and Lancaster factions | | | | standard of what a rose should look like. |