. Roses are divided into a number of classifications. The basis for all these other classes is the species roses. These are the original, wild roses that are found around the northern hemisphere in many types of climate. Interestingly, roses do not occur naturally in the southern hemisphere. The species roses are grouped into North American, European, Middle Eastern, and East Asian. Except for some of the East Asian ones, these roses are once blooming only. They usually have single blooms, most often consisting of five petals. One fairly popular species rose, Rosa glauca, is grown for its combination of grayish foliage and pink and white flowers. Another example is Rosa Gallica ‘Officinalis’ or the Apothecary’s Rose, is the ancestor of the hybrid gallica class.
Both natural and human crosses of the species roses gave rise to the many classes of old garden roses. These are all the types of roses known until the mid 19th century. Many of them are once-blooming, and many are not hardy in our climate. However, the old garden roses have a special charm of their own, and many are very disease resistant. They also tend to be fragrant. Some of the better known types are: Alba, Bourbon, Damask, Tea, Moss, Gallica, Portland, and Hybrid Perpetual.
The Albas are believed to result from a cross between the Gallicas and Rosa canina (dog rose). These tend to be big, sturdy, once-blooming bushes. More famous ones include pink ‘Maiden’s Blush’, and ‘Konigin Von Danemark’, and white ‘Alba Semi-plena’ or ‘The White Rose of York’. The Bourbons originally resulted from a cross between China rose ‘Old Blush’ and the rose ‘Autumn Damask’. Many are fragrant and have repeat bloom. One of the most famous is beautiful ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’ in pale pink. There is also pink ‘Louise Odier’ with its perfect, camellia-like blossoms. The Damask roses are one of the most ancient types and are famous for their scent. They are almost all once blooming in white and shades of pink and often have a little point or “button” in the center of the flowers. They are fairly disease resistant and hardy. Some of the damasks can grow into rather tall, husky bushes. One white variety, ‘Mme. Hardy’ remains one of the world’s most famous roses. This rose is hardy here without protection. Moss roses may have arisen as a mutation of centifolias or damasks. They get their name from the soft, scented, mossy growths on their peduncles and sepals. Most varieties are heavily scented and once blooming in shades of white, pink, and red. The pink common moss rose ‘Communis’ is the one seen most often. It is hardy here, and spreads by sucker growth. Another ancient class is the Gallicas. These are very hardy, and once blooming in shades of pink, red, and purple. The most famous is a pink and white sport of ‘Officinalis’ called ‘Rosa Mundi’. Another is purple ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’. The bushes tend to spread by sucker growth. The Portland roses, sometimes called Portland damasks, were developed in the early 1800’s. They were very famous for a time because they were repeat-blooming, but few varieties have survived into the present. The bushes tend to be small and thorny. A more common one is pink ‘Comte de Chambord’ which is fragrant and hardy without protection here. The Portland roses were mostly superceded by the Bourbons and the Hybrid Perpetuals. In spite of their name, Hybrid Perpetuals don’t bloom constantly. However, they do bloom more than once, with the first bloom usually being the heaviest. The bushes tend to be tall and hardy, and bloom in shades of white, pink, and red. One famous pink variety, ‘Baronne Prevost’ has large fragrant flowers and is hardy here without protection, but is prone to blackspot. Tea roses originally came from China. They are not hardy in our cold climate, but their descendants, the Hybrid Tea Roses mostly are, with some protection. Tea roses brought the color yellow and the ability to rebloom to modern roses.