Apothecary Fragrance

General Discussion
1

I have a rose that is over a hundred years old. It withstood neglect for most of those years, growing along the roadside where a house once stood. For years we called it Mrs. Alkire for the lady who lived there in the 1800s. Later, someone identified it as Apothecary. It has a nice scent, but it is not a particularly strong, like Apothecary is supposed to have. If you rub the bud or calyx, there is a very nice resiny or pine-like scent. It suckers like mad, often many feet from the main plant. It is once blooming and somewhat subject to mildew here in Indiana. I would like to use it in some of my crosses, mainly because it has some sentimental value. However, I would like a more definite ID on the plant. What do you think?

2

Without clear images which show the various plant and flower characteristics, it’s virtually impossible to make an educated guess. Take a look here at The Apothecary’s Rose on Help Me Find. You can read descriptions, comments and view many photographs. How does this compare to the rose you grow?

3

My Apothecary suckers like mad as you describe, sometimes several feet away. And the scent when you rub the buds sounds as you describe. I can’t remember the smell, but it’s nice I think. Several of my seedling Apothecary crosses were susceptible to mildew in the greenhouse.

4

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Here are some photos of my possible “Apothecary.”

5

I can’t claim any sort of rose ID expertise, but it looks like it to me. Here are two pictures of my Apothecary:

[flickr_photo src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8136/8698901766_1400cc5043.jpg nsid=66449618@N07 id=8698901766]IMG_2347[/flickr_photo]

[flickr_photo src=http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8119/8697777765_2eb3a3c802.jpg nsid=66449618@N07 id=8697777765]IMG_2364[/flickr_photo]

6

Okay, thanks for all of your input. Based on this, I believe it is Apothecary. It does have its faults, but this rose has taken a licking over 100 plus years, including mowing, plowing, herbicide drift, etc. It is definitely low maintenance. Thanks for all your input.

7

If it weren’t for the fact many of these older, cold hardy, European OGRs are such WEEDS in many climates, we probably wouldn’t still have them around. Not to disparage them at all. In many ways, calling a plant a ‘weed’ is about the highest form of praise I can think of. They do their thing and take care of their business without you. THAT is my kind of rose!

8

The Fragrant Year, by Helen Van Pelt Wilson and Leonie Bell (1967)

Apothecary Rose, credited with “exquisite” fragrance, has only modest scent. However, we treasure it for the quality noted centuries ago by Parkinson, “… the sent hereof is … not comparable to the excellencie of the damaske Rose, yet this Rose being well dryed and well kept, will hold both colour and sent longer than the damaske, bee it never so well kept.”