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| Photo Credit: Courtesy of Antique Rose Emporium |
| ‘La France’ is a hybrid tea shrub rose. |
A rose is a rose in any climate where it grows – and these days, that’s just about in every region of North America. There are roses for the frozen North, for the hot and humid South, and everywhere in between, from Alaska to Mexico.
As anyone who’s ever been stuck in the finger (or arm or leg…) by this plant knows, roses come armed with thorns – and they’re known for being temperamental in the garden – so why do they continue to be such a favorite with homeowners far and wide? One reason may lie in our craving for novelty. Roses are bred in a vast array of colors, and many new varieties of the plant become available every year. They’re also bred to fit almost every garden niche: They can climb like a vine; tower like a tree; clump in a nice, dense hedge; or just sit pretty in a pot. But depending on the kind of rose you choose, you may need great patience and understanding to ensure your beloved rose has a long, healthy life – and one that produces an abundance of fantastic blooms. Taking a look at the rose’s long journey from the wilderness to the gardens of North America can help us understand something of the plant’s needs, as well as its everlasting appeal. Although wild rose species grow all over the Northern Hemisphere, they were first cultivated in China some 5,000 years ago and from there, were brought to the Middle East. During the Roman Empire, roses were cultivated not only for their beauty and fragrance, but for medicinal purposes. Although native species were prized throughout Europe from that time, it wasn’t until the 18th century that the repeat bloomers so much loved today were imported from China. Cultivated roses were transplanted into the American landscape with the first European settlers, and they’ve been spreading ever since.
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