How many difference fragrances can be identified in rose foliage? And when are these best noted, and are leaves that are new and seem to have a bit more moisture content (somewhat succulent feeling-there is probably a word that fits here but it is not coming to mind) more likely to be fragrant? I ask because I note at least three fragrances in leaves on some selected seedlings and am wondering if there are more. What I note is spicy, piney/cedar-y, and something that actually lingers a bit on my hands, which I can best describe as somewhat ylang-ylang like in fragrance. This may have an actual name and I would love to know it.
This is a subject I have been “tuned in to” for easily thirty years, Jackie. MANY roses have scented plant parts other than flowers. “Peppery” is a common scent I perceive in China types. Mutabilis is notorious for it, particularly on the peduncles and sepals. Foetida and its close hybrids have a “Juicy Fruit” scent to the same parts as well as the new foliage growth tips. Of course, we are all aware of the “Granny Smith” apple scent of Eglanteria and its close hybrids. I’ve written about Fedtschenkoana’s “Nobel Fir with hardwood smoke” scent to the same parts. I’ve followed that scent through several generations of seedlings, noticing it morph from that smokey, Nobel Fir scent through spruce, cedar and pine types. Puzzlement is finally demonstrating more of the “Pine” scent from the new growth tips. Many species have evergreen type scents to the growth tips, buds and peduncles. R. minutifolia expresses a very distinct “dill” scent to its scented parts. Ralph Moore grew a number of various “versions” which differed quite a bit in size and density of the foliage, as well as the strength of the dill scent. If I recall correctly, he stated he had observed something like eleven, different types of Minutifolia.
Most of the Damasks, Centifolias, some Gallicas, through Portlands, some HPs have had “herbal” to “pine” scents to my nose. I’ve heard people describe the “herbal” scent as “balsam”, but I am not familiar with balsam scent, so I can’t verify that. Gloire des Rosomanes shares the same “sweet, peppery cedar” scent with Grandmother’s Hat. It’s strong and persistent enough with both roses that grooming them scents your hands heavily. Grandmother’s Hat stinks up my hands so efficiently, it takes a few days to wash or wear it all off them so I don’t smell the scent constantly. You can detect the peppery scent on the peduncles and sepals on a number of the Noisette roses. Malmaison and Souv. de St. Anne’s have a scent reminiscent of Grandmother’s Hat, coming rather close to its density and persistence. Many polyanthas demonstrate the “growing scents” to their parts. Several hybrid multifloras, particularly Lens’ violet types, have “Fruity” growing scents.
There are the well known moss rose scents. These can range quite widely from the traditional OGR growth scents to actual “Lemon” or “citrus”. Ralph’s Lemon Delight has “lemony” scented moss. Paul Barden’s Lemon Moss has what he describes as “lemon-pine” moss scent. Many of the moss scents are downright messy when handled, there is so much “resin” or “oil” from the moss glands, your hands actually get sticky. Some rugosas’ flowering parts literally stink. Ralph’s rugosa-moss hybrids intensified that “rugosa stench” in their mossing. His Crested hybrids frequently expressed scents through their peduncles.
A number of HTs and floribundas express scents to the peduncles, in particular, as have some of the English roses. None of which have impressed me as being “characteristic” of the particular roses as have the ones I have detailed. I started “scratching and sniffing” roses in gardens way back when, and continue it today, particularly with my seedlings. It is something I have, and continue frequently encouraging people to do. It appears to me, China genes can often be detected from the expression of that “peppery” scent.
Glossier, harder foliage types, such as Wichurana, don’t express growing scents to my nose. When I can detect one from any of its hybrids, it’s usually several generations removed from the species.
I love the scent of my Apothecary rose’s foliage, especially the sepals and peduncle as it is getting ready to bloom. I am poor at describing scents, but it is definitely the scent of some kind of coniferous tree. Some believe that Apothecary has wonderfully scented blooms. In my opinion, at least in my growing conditions, the scent of the blooms is only mediocre, but I find the faint scent from the foliage refreshing. An apothecary x HT that i have (yet to bloom) does not seem to have that scent, perhaps later, or in a later generation.
Thanks, the word I was trying to think of was rosin (as in cello or violin strings) or resinous. Like when you run your hand or fingers over the foliage and it does not slide, but rather the leaves have a surface that ‘pulls’ at your skin, probably causing the fragrant ‘resin’ to be picked up. Not all roses seem to have this rosin-y quality, but these are the ones that seem to be most fragrant-or like Kim noted, the glossy, harder (I would add smoother) leafed foliage do not seem fragrant.
Now, I will have to come back and reread this little education on fragrance types (above) several times to have all this info sink in. And start attempting to discern some of those nuances! I think that I am lumping sweet, peppery together with spicy for starters. And what I am thinking is the lingering scent of ylang-ylang might be a bit more sandlewood-y. Perfume counters drive me crazy-I can discern citrus and gardenia without hesitation,but most blends are over my head.
I remembered the old ROYAT line, “Hansa, perfumes the hand which holds one.” Add that one to the list of scented plant parts.
Hi Jackie,
Kim has noted a lot of great observations on foliage scents. I’d add that I like that peppery scent of Mutabilis so much that I pick the unopened flowers of it just for purpose of smelling them. I enjoy it every bit as much as flower scents. It’s a smell that stirs up happy memories of the neighborhood backyards of my childhood.
And I’ll second the disgust for the scent of rugosa flower buds. It makes me think of stale old grease or oil paint.
Two more species that are strongly scented:
Rosa glutinosa - intensely pine-scented foliage (borders on citrus-y to me)
Rosa palustris - our local type has buds that are strongly scented with a sweet woodsy scent. When handled, they’ll makes your fingers stick together - like Kim had described for Moss roses. When I do crosses on palustris, I have to get out the rubbing alcohol afterward.
Tom
After I wrote that I remembered I’d written a blog post last Fall about those sticky, scented gland hairs on Rosa palustris
I should’ve taken a picture that actually showed that tacky stuff glueing my fingers together.
Thanks for the warning about Palustris and the rubbing alcohol idea, Thomas. That should help! I also like your description of the Rugosa stench. Ralph’s rugosa-moss hybrids often took that way far past “the next level”!
Great photo on the link!
Thanks Jackie!
And sounds like Ralph’s rugosa/Moss hybrids wouldn’t be my cup of tea - I shudder to imagine that intensified scent.
Hey Kim, any guess as to what might come from combining the peppery scent of ‘Old Blush’ with that sweet woodsy scent of palustris (it’s akin to the fedtschenkoana scent but not quite the same). I’ll hopefully be germinating palustris x Old Blush seeds in the Spring - they’re ripening as I write this. I thought maybe at some point you might have used a peppery China type with one of your fedtschenkoana hybrids.
The China X Fed. seedlings which have lived very long, haven’t been well scented. I don’t know what to expect, other than not very durable plants.
My Hot Tamale smells like Earl Grey tea. I’m hoping it passes that on to the next generation.
That’s pretty cool Donald. Makes me want to get ‘Hot Tamale’. I grow a mint called “Orange Mint” (got from Richter’s mail order herb nursery in Canada) that has a strong Earl Grey smell. Lately it’s been hanging over a walkway and gets trampled a lot so I get to catch whiffs of it a lot. I hope your next generations from Hot Tamale also have that smell.