Although it certainly has many fans, it also has many detractors. The Green Rose seems to polarize all who see it -- no one stays neutral. Those who like it really love it; those who don't care for it really detest it!
In the evolution of the rose (all roses), the leaves surrounding the corolla, or that part of the plant that would evolve into the corolla, eventually modified into petals. Most roses have five or more petals that range in color from white to the blackest red imaginable, with all shades and blends represented except blue and true black. The petals of the poor little Green Rose never made the adaptation -- they are green leaf tissue! They look like "zinna-like" petals, the bud opens and the petals reflex like all other roses -- but these petals are green and composed of the same cellular material as the leaves of the bush.
The strange blooms of the Green Rose are produced in abundance throughout
the growing season, being nicely shaped, double (having approximately 35 narrow,
leaf-like petals) and approximately 1 1/2" to 2" in size. The blooms tend
to come in clusters of 3 or 5 and look like little pom-poms. In cooler weather, the
blooms can take on a bronze tinge. Buds are slender, green and elongated.
The Green Rose is a China rose. It doesn't demand a great deal of care or
fooling with, but does require winter protection. The stems form a twiggy mass of
medium height, and the foliage is dark green and glossy. It fits nicely into a container
and is often grown on the patio or porch. This rose is easily started from cuttings
and can make a very well-behaved specimen plant. It doesn't seem to be bothered by
insects or disease.
Although an oddity of the rose world, the Green Rose has some really nice features. Its strange little blooms offer a moderately spicey "black pepper" aroma under some conditions, and have a long vase life. Blooms of this rose are often seen in arrangements and bouquets where the splashy green blooms add interest and contrast.
This little rose is a contender on the show table and is eligible for Dowager Queen, the award given to the best specimen of an Old Garden Rose variety proven to be in commerce/cultivation before 1876. There is scant evidence for the origins of this plant, but it has been recorded in commerce prior to 1845. It is thought to be a sport of Rosa indica. Robert Buist, a well-known Philadelphia nurseryman in the 1800's, wrote that the Green Rose' was "found" in Charleston, South Carolina in 1833.
Although no one knows its true origin, it has been around for a long time, and it looks like it will be seen in catalogs for years to come, not because of any particular beauty, but because it is so curious.
THIS PAGE WAS ORIGINALLY
POSTED ON THE WEBSITE OF
THE AMERICAN ROSE
SOCIETY ON NOVEMBER 30. 1996
Copyright© 1996 The American Rose Society
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