Who knows what Gertrude Stein really meant when she wrote, " A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose." All we know is that the rose is a symbol of beauty, of peace and of nature's bounty. And we love them whether they're in a luxh bouquet, tucked into someone's hair, stamped onto greeting cards or running rampant over a garden trellis.
The History of Roses
Species Roses
- Thought to be 35 million years old, "species" roses are called "nature"s roses" because they're the source of all other rose varieties. Their simple flowers often have only a simple row of petals.
- The Apothecary's Rose was identified in literature as early as the 14th century but could be older. This rose gets its name because it was used heavily in medieval medicine.
- The Romans' favorite rose was 'Autumn Damask.'
