DAMASK ROSES
*Autumn Damask; Castilian; Quatre Saisons; Four Seasons; R. bifera; R. bifera semperflorens; R. damascena bifera; R. damascene semperflorens; R. semperflorens; Rose of Castile; Alexandria Rose; and Rose of Paestum
Damask, recurrent; 1000-500 b.c.e.
Medium pink; very fragrant.
Antique Rose Emporium, 2012
Medium pink; very fragrant.
Antique Rose Emporium, 2012
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The Autumn Damask is the oldest and, until the China roses were introduced to Europe in the late 18th century, the only reblooming (or remontant) European rose. Because it rebloomed during the season it was a phenomenon in the Western world of single-blooming roses. Its heritage is ancient: writers such as Herodotus and Virgil have remarked on it in their writings, and the Romans imported it from Egypt (thus the name Alexandria Rose).
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*Roses bred prior to 1867 are designated “antique”. The year marks the introduction of the first Hybrid Tea rose, “La France” (Guillot), from which the modern era of rose-breeding begins. Hybrid Tea roses were quite different from other varieties in that they displayed a single rose at the end of a stem rather than clusters on a stem, and their flower shape, while multi-petaled, was well-shaped and restrained in size. In developing these favorable traits, breeders ultimately sacrificed fragrance. Late in the 20th century, breeders such as David Austin introduced hybrids that integrate aspects of the Hybrid Tea with those of the old and antique roses; his varieties are a fine compromise for those who wish an antique-looking fragrant flower with greater disease resistance, long bloom, and interesting color.
La France Rose. Photograph by Arashiyama - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26126853
Old roses have usually been named for a famous or influential person, or someone for whom the breeder has a special regard or affection. One of several books about the namesakes of old roses is Pink Ladies & Crimson Gents: Portraits and Legends of 50 Roses, by Molly and Don Glentzer (New York: Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2008).
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The Magic Flute, II,28.
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"(Die Liebe) mag den Weg mit Rosen streun, weil Rosen stets bei Dornen sein"
"(Love) may strew the path with roses, because roses always come with thorns" |
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