Old Garden Rose, Species 'Apothecary's Rose'

Rosa gallica thrives in my Zone 7A, Petersburg, Virginia garden. I was given a small rooted start by a friend perhaps ten years ago. It ...Read Moreis healthy, lovely and fragrant, and although it blooms only once it does that prolifically. It is not as subject to black spot as some of my other roses. It gets no taller than 40 inches, but it spreads out and sends out suckers. I am going to plant an additional Rosa gallica in another bed where it will have more room to spread, and I am going to put down barriers in the bed where my present rose is choking out the stokesia and another rose. I neglected to keep it reined in for several years. If I had paid more attention, it should not have been too difficult to dig out the overflow. Rosa gallica is also known as the Red Rose of Lancaster, from the War of the Roses. It was cultivated in herb gardens in the Middle Ages, for its rose hips.

In full bloom in several of the museum gardens at Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth NH, 2 July 2011. Absolutely covered with flowers. Hard to ...Read Moreremember that it's a once-bloomer and that its season may be very short. 'Gather ye rosebuds while ye may'

I purchased this plant from the Monticello plant shop in Virginia several years ago. Apparently Thomas Jefferson grew this rose. I've had...Read More to move it a couple of times to find the right amount of sun. It's doing very well at last. A person who helps with garden maintenance commented that it looks and behaves somewhat like a rosa rugosa. I can see the similarities, esp. the thorny stems and its prolific growing habit. I love it for its fragrance and somewhat rangy appearance. It's definitely not a neat plant, although I suppose it could be if I pruned it. It's just perfect the way it is.

This is a classic hedge-forming gallica which blooms profusely once a year. The petals make nice additions to salads, etc (traditionall...Read Morey used in medicines), and the hips are also edible as they turn orange. As they become soft, they can be harvested, dried, and saved for later.