Rosa 'Caribbean'

Rose

Wild roses (or species roses) occur naturally only in the Northern Hemisphere and have been on the planet for a relatively short time. Paleobotanists date some fossilized roses to be at least 35 million years old; compare that to conifers which have been around 300 million years.

As one of the most beloved flowers of mankind, roses have fascinated cultures for centuries. Roses have been found in tombs in Egypt dating back to about 170 A.D. The Chinese were probably the first to cultivate roses. About 500 B.C., Confucius wrote of roses growing in the Imperial Gardens.

Repeat-blooming roses from China were introduced into Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Chinese roses provided the genetic materials necessary for European rose hybridizers to produce repeat-blooming hybrid roses. European roses, although large and fragrant, only bloom once a year.

Roses have a rich history of human manipulation to breed new colors, shapes and hardier rose plants. Today, thousands of cultivars of roses are available on the market.