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Let's start by laying the groundwork of what types or classes of roses exist. Note--there are a lot of arguments about which roses should be included in which classes and exactly how the different classes were created (hybridized). I'll try to mark those areas which are most problematical. Roses are traditionally divided up into classes, or groups of rose varieties, with common characteristics. Some classes are ancient while others are the result of mankind's hybridizing activities. And as if figuring out all these classes is not enough, there is sort of a super-grouping done by many garden books, and particularly rampant during the Regency, when they grouped all rose classes together under the general headings of Summer or Autumn flowering. Since my focus is mostly roses during the Regency, I'm going to organize this in a similar way. Summer Flowering This classification is sort of an overall description of several types of roses and includes many of the classes, as defined below. This grouping would have been used, and is still frequently used in Britain, as a catch-all that includes the classes of roses or individual species of roses that only bloom once, typically in the summer months (May/June/July). Some may ask, why grow summer-only blooming roses if they only bloom once? But in truth, none of the remontant (reblooming) varieties can match the exuberant magnificence of one of these roses bushes in bloom. In addition, most, if not all members of this class should not be sprayed--which means they are less work. They are generally not affected by rose diseases such as blackspot or mildew, and almost all without exception are wonderfully fragrant. The blossoms are also quite different than today's plastic-looking Hybrid Teas, so you may decide for yourself... Autumn Flowering This curious classification doesn't necessarily mean what it says. It is really used to describe repeat blooming classes and species of roses which may bloom not only in the spring/summer but also in the fall (and perhaps sporadically during the summer). This grouping may have originated with the Autumn Damask rose which blooms in the summer and may occasionally produce a few blooms in the fall, thereby making it one of the first--if not the first--to repeat bloom. Rose Classes - These first classes are all generally considered to be Summer Flowering. Gallica
This was probably the most popular rose class during the Regency period. Characteristics include: Short, compact growth pattern with a habit of spreading to form dense thickets by way of suckers. Often called crotch-rippers, which gives you a fairly good indication of their height. Canes are rather thin and wiry, with numerous hair-like prickles of many sizes along the stems. Foliage is almost leather-like. It is generally a flat matte green with a rough texture. Blooms are very fragrant and range from pale pink to a rich deep purple. There is no true crimson, but the red blooms all tend to have a purplish undertone. The roses are fragrant with the typical rose scent. Extremely winter-hardy and do not need to be sprayed for disease. Examples: Rosa gallica 'Officinalis' or 'The Apothecary's Rose' - Large semi-double red flowers. Retains fragrance after drying so is very popular for potpourri. Rosa gallica 'Versicolor' or 'Rosa Mundi' - The striped form of 'Officinalis', streaked white, pink, and red. Damask
Graceful, arching shrubs often 6 feet tall or more. Foliage is generally rough-textured with a gray-green leaves that have a pale silvery reverse. The leaf at the end of the branch (terminal leaflet) often is folded in half and held at a downward angle. Canes have very large, sharp prickles. Flowers range from white to a reddish pink. Fragrance is intense and these are the roses most often grown for the rose perfume trade. Damasks are very winter hardy and do not need to be sprayed for disease. Damasks can be sub-divided into Summer Damasks and Autumn Damasks. The two groups are differentiated by their bloom cycles. Summer Damasks only bloom once in the summer while Autumn Damasks bloom in the summer and again in the fall. Examples: Rosa x damascena 'Triginitipetala' or 'Kazanlik' - lovely, loose double flowers in pink, grown in Turkey to produce Attar of Roses. Rosa x damascene 'Bifera', 'Quatre Saisons' or 'Autumn Damask', an occasionally remontant variety, thought to be the rose mentioned by Herodotus in the 5th century BC, growing in King Midas' gardens. Loosely double blossoms in pink. 'Celsiana' - an extraordinarily gorgeous flower in pale pink fading to white with an intense perfume. The translucent petals are unbelievably sensual and beautiful. Alba
There is speculation that Alba roses are a cross
between the Dog Rose ( Tall, thorny shrubs, reaching to six feet on up. Foliage is blue-gray and rather soft. Flowers are white to pale-pink and are generally fragrant. Alba roses are very cold-tolerant, should not be sprayed, and will tolerate some shade and drought. Examples: Rosa x alba 'Semiplena' with pure white flowers nearly 3" across. 'Cuisse de Nymphe' or 'Great Maiden's Blush' - beautiful double, pale pink flowers, flushed deeper pink in the middle. Wonderful rose scent. Centifolia Medium-tall, perhaps 5 feet in height, rather lax bushes with numerous thorns. Soft, pale green leaves. Large, petal-packed flowers that are deeply globular. Very fragrant. Examples: Rosa x centifolia or 'Old Cabbage Rose' - a lush, double rose in rich pink with a wonderful rose fragrance. "Unique Blanche' or 'White Provence Unique' - a pure white double rose discovered at Needham in Suffolk in 1775. Moss They are very similar to Centifolia Roses in appearance. Medium-tall, perhaps 5 feet in height, rather lax bushes with numerous thorns. Soft, pale green leaves. Large, petal-packed flowers that are deeply globular. Mossing in either green or brown along the pedicel and sepals. Very fragrant. Examples: Rosa x centifolia 'Muscosa,' 'Old Moss Rose,' or 'Common Moss' - the original mossy sport of Centifolia, recorded in late 17th century. Lovely double flowers in rich pink, with stems and sepals covered in green moss. 'Shailer's White Moss,' ' White Bath,' or 'Centifolia Muscosa Alba' - The white sport of the Common Moss, appeared in 1788. And now we start getting into Autumn Flowering classes of roses. One note: with the introduction of yellow roses, we also got the disease black spot, so this was not entirely felicitous. Reblooming roses are, unfortunately, very prone to this disease. Small to medium (5 feet) tall shrubs with thin, twiggy canes. Abundant small prickles. Foliage is narrow, lance-shaped, and generally dark green. Small flowers are generally produced in clusters, often held “above” the shrub in a very graceful, airy manner. Colors range from
white to pink to the first true scarlet--a color European roses did
not possess until the
The fragrance is quite different from European roses. It is generally peppery or spicy. As flowers age, they darken in color, unlike the European roses which bleach as they age. Examples: 'Parson's Pink China,' 'Monthly Rose,' or 'Old Blush China' has loosely double mid-pink flowers, generally in clusters of 3-5. 'Semperflorens' or 'Slater's Crimson China' introduced to Europe around 1792. The flowers are loosely double, deep red. This is the parent of most of the early dark red roses. Tea Large (6’ and over) shrubs with thin, twiggy wood. The canes are smooth and have a polished look, and are often red-bronze when they are new. Large, hooked prickles run the length of the canes. Foliage is shiny and deep green. New growth is bronzed. Flowers are large, often produced in clusters, on fragile stems. Flower colors include: white, pink, yellow and a few reds. Often, colors are mixed or blended, and are generally in the pastel shades. Flower colors often intensify as they age. Bloom is continual. Fragrance is fruity with a tea-like undertone--not the usual rose scent, at all. Examples: 'Parks' Yellow Tea-scented China' - brought to England by John Parks in 1824. Numerous pale yellow, double flowers with an occasional pink flush. 'Devoniensis' was introduced in 1838 and has pale pink, double flowers. Upright shrubs with thorny canes. Foliage is matte green. Blossoms are large with short stems. The leaves are often so close to the blooms that they appear to “frame” them. Flower colors include: white, pink to deep crimson. Fragrance is sweet and rosy. Their bloom cycle repeats and they were among the first roses to be cold-hardy, repeat, and have true scarlet flowers. Example: 'Portland Rose' has bright red, semi-double flowers with a lovely scent. Noisette None of the Noisettes are very cold-hardy, but they all repeat strongly (bloom almost constantly). Large shrubs. Foliage is matte green. Blossoms are small and produced in clusters of pale pink to white. Noisette were later back-crossed to Tea roses to produce the tall climbing forms with very large clusters of flowers. These later flower colors include: white, pink to yellow. Fragrance is spicy Tea Rose. Example: 'Blush Noisette' has lovely clusters of pale pink flowers with a scent reminiscent of cloves. Bourbon Large, open shrubs with large thorns and long canes. Foliage is deep green. Flower colors include: white, pink to deep pink. Fragrance is strong, old rose. They are generally winter-hardy. Examples: 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' is a large flowered, double rose in pale pink. 'Bourbon Queen,' or 'Reine des Iles Bourbon' has lovely double flowers in medium pink with paler edges. Hybrid Perpetual This was probably the most popular class of rose in the 19th century, after 1840. Very large shrubs with thorny canes. Flowers are generally carried at the tips of the canes. Flower colors include: white, pink to deep red, and purple. Fragrance is sweet and rosy. Their bloom cycle repeats with a heavy resurgence of bloom in the fall. Cold hardy. Example: 'General Jacqueminot,' or 'La Brillante' has large double flowers in deep red, with a good scent. Hybrid Tea Please note that once you start with Hybrid Tea and some of the following classes of roses, it becomes more and more difficult to give an accurate description because there is so much variation between the cultivars. Generally, upright shrubs with thorny canes. Foliage is generally medium to dark green and slightly shiny. Blossoms are large, classic Hybrid Tea form with long stems and a high, pointed center. Generally only attractive in the half-open stage. This is in direct contrast to the rest of the roses we have mentioned, which are most beautiful in all stages and most particularly at the fully opened stage. (Okay, you’ve caught me--I am not a fan of this class...) Flower colors include all colors except blue and black. Fragrance varies wildly, but many have none.. Their bloom cycle repeats. Example: 'La France' has double blooms in pink which are paler inside. It has a heavier scent than most Teas. "Mrs Oakley Fisher' is a single rose (5 petals) with large coppery yellow flowers. Polyantha Low growing shrubs with thin, twiggy canes. Foliage is shiny, deep green. Blossoms are small and form in large clusters. Flower colors include: white, pink to deep crimson. (No yellow.) Fragrance is generally non-existent. Their bloom cycle repeats. Example: 'Marie Pavie' has lovely double blooms in pale cream with a touch of pink. Rugosa Medium shrubs with thorny canes that will quickly colonize an area via runners. Foliage is crinkled, leathery green (Rugosus is Latin for wrinkled). Flower colors include: white, pink to deep crimson and yellow. Rosy fragrance. Their bloom cycle repeats reliably and they do not need to be deadheaded to get them to repeat. Produce large hips (or heps) with high levels of vitamin ‘C’ and are excellent for jams, jellies and tea. Example: 'Rugosa Rubra' has very large single (5 petal) flowers in rich deep crimson. Rambler/Climbers Example: Rosa filipes 'Kiftsgate' - there is a speciman at Kiftsgate Court, Gloucestershire that has climbed into a large beech tree 30'. The 1" white flowers are born in heads nearly 18" across and in full bloom this is utterly spectacular. As as if this wasn't enough, it has a lovely scent. Climbers have been produced either by sport (accidentally) or by deliberate breeding from almost every other class of rose mentioned. They are generally less exuberant than Ramblers, and have the characteristics of the variety from which they were produced. They may be remontant or not. Roses may be considered climbers if they produce canes 8’ tall on up. Shrub/English Again, there is so much variety in the Shrubs and English classes, that it is nearly impossible to define them, except very broadly. They are shrubs, ranging from 3’ to 8’ in height. Flower colors include every color except black and blue. Fragrance varies from none to lush rose.
Species Example: Rosa Glauca has lovely gray-purple foliage, with smallish single flowers (5-petals) in rich pink. Lightly fragrant. That is a fairly good start as far as the rose classes are concerned. I’m going to just take one more minute to go over blossom shapes. Some Rose Shapes... Single - A “flat” rose with 5 petals. Pompom - A small to medium sized rose with numerous petals that form a sort of pom-pom shape when fully opened. Tea Rose - the classic high-pointed florist’s rose (half-opened stage). Quartered - A medium to large rose with numerous petals that when open, form four distinct quadrants or quarters. Semi-Double - A rose with about 14 or so petals--it isn’t packed with petals, but it has at least twice the number of a Single-shaped rose. Double - A rose packed with petals. Typically 30 or more.
Full - The rose has more petals
than a Semi-Double, but is more loosely formed than what is considered
to be a Double. Typically used for
Reflexed - A rose packed with petals that as it opens, reflex back, opening up the flower. Cupped - A rose packed with petals that as it opens, it retains a cup-shape where the petals curl inward slightly.
There are more descriptions, including Globular, Rosette, Informal, and Shallow-cupped, but we have to stop somewhere!
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