Have you ever wondered how long the rose has been on earth? Or maybe, how long have humans enjoyed the beauty and resources of the rose.
When we think of a rose our mind often conjures a picture of a beautiful flower, often red, pink or yellow, with long stem, green foliage, and (often) sharp thorns. We can revisit the soft subtle scent as we slowly inhale its mesmerizing fragrance. As we bask in these memories let us take a short walk through the history of roses.
Roses have a long and lustrous history on earth. Rose fossils have been found in the western United States dating back as far as 35 million years. But it’s not until approximately 3000 BC that the cultivation of roses started most likely in China. At the height of the Roman Empire, about 100 BC, roses were grown extensively throughout the empire. After the fall of the Roman Empire and through Medieval times the cultivation of roses spread throughout Europe. Finally cultivated roses found there way to America where in the early 1700’s they were being sold in the British Colonies in America.
Curiously wild roses are known only to propagate in the wild of the northern hemisphere. Each adapted to its own environment; from the cold as far north as Alaska to the heat as far south as Mexico. Wild roses also have adapted to moisture conditions as wet as swamps to the much drier areas found in the south. Yet, it was human cultivation that helped nature combine the best traits of these flowers.
Today we enjoy numerous bloom and plant styles. Blooms can be as small as a pinky nail to as large as several inches across. We now have numerous flower colors and shapes; even the number of petals very from a single layer to as crowded 100+ petals. We can grow them as a single plant, as a hedge, or as a trellis climber. The choice of stocks varies from thorn-covered to thorn-less.
Various cultures throughout the world have also enjoyed more then just the lovely look of the rose. Rose hips, the fruit of plant, have 30 times the amount of vitamin C then an orange. Rose hip vitamin C tablets can be found in health food stores today. And, for centuries the delicate pedals have been harvested for their sensual scent; being made into rose water and rose oil.
Today you can grow this beautiful flower. Whether you buy a plant in the gardening section of a local store or go directly to a rose specialty store, certainly you will find a beautiful addition to your garden and your lifestyle.
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