Have you ever noticed those pink semi-wild roses that show up this time of year along roadways, fence rows and other abandoned places? They caught my attention several years ago, and being possessed with an inquiring mind, I wanted to know how they got there.
The first thing I discovered was there are several species of escaped roses living a vagabond existence.
The rounded clusters of Dorothy Perkins rose resemble pastel pink cheerleader pompoms. This ubiquitous roadside rose is named for the granddaughter of Charles Perkins, founder of the famous Jackson & Perkins flower nursery.
Perkins released that particular cultivar way back in 1901. It quickly became a favorite, must-have rambling rose in early 20th century flower gardeners. In 1908, Dorothy Perkins won top honors at the distinguished British Royal National Rose Society. A white cultivar released that same year, along with a red cultivar called Excelsa, also appear in undeveloped, uncultivated places.
After it fell from favor with gardeners, the once-famous rambling rose found a way to survive on its own; without the perpetual care that most horticultural roses require. Some of these homeless roadside roses have persisted for more than 100 years.
My first experience with Dorothy Perkins rose was in church. My mill village Baptist church followed the tradition of everyone wearing a rose during the Mothers’ Day Sunday service — white for those whose mothers were deceased and red for those with living mothers. My father would send me out on Saturday to find a white rose for him and my mother, along with bright red ones for me, my brother and sister. I always knew where to find them.
Then there is Rugosa rose. In South Carolina, Rugosa rose is more common along the coast, but occurs regularly in the Upstate.
Among roses, having big hips is a virtue. Those of Rugosa rose are so big, (and pretty tasty when properly prepared), that back in earlier times, people used them to make jams and jellies. They were wise to do so as those huge hips of Rugosa rose offer a hefty dose of vitamins C and E, along with several important antioxidants. But don’t eat them raw, the seeds have hairs that create havoc in the gastrointestinal tract, often resulting in an odd ailment known as “butt itch syndrome.”
A native of China and Southeast Asia; this hearty, disease resistant rose is thought to have been introduced into this country in 1845 along the New England coast.
Finally, there is Multiflora rose, an attractive but wildly invasive botanical bad boy; the bane of native plant enthusiasts and environmentally conscious land managers throughout the country. If you want to see just how much Multiflora rose there is out there, start watching the roadsides in early May. I have personally seen it in the very heart of the vast Jocassee Gorges and even in the Great Smokey Mountains National Forest — a compelling case for landscaping with native plants or sterile hybrid cultivars that stay put where you plant them.
Dennis Chastain is a Pickens County naturalist, historian and former tour guide. He has been writing feature articles for South Carolina Wildlife magazine and other outdoor publications since 1989.
