I note several breeders posting continue to use modern rose cultivars in their breeding programs. Which is fine if you want to dabble and just want to develop an attractive rose, but if you are serious where are you getting your disease resistance? Perhaps most of it can be found in Rosa kordesii hybrids or in cultivars with Rosa wichurana in the parentage or pedigree (I’m thinking particularly of the ground cover cultivars), but how many breeders are using these types of roses in their breeding programs? I doubt there is very many.
I bring this subject up, because I’m dismayed at the loss of disease resistance in several of the earlier Parkland rose cultivars. And this is growing them in the Northern Great Plains, the region they were bred for. No doubt they are usually a disaster in warmer and more humid climates of North America. Of course, Floribunda and Hybrid Tea cultivars are in their pedigrees and they are the culprits responsible for the disease problems (Yes, I know Rosa arkansana is suscceptible to rust, but except for ‘Assiniboine’ it is usually not a disease problem in the Parkland rose cultivars).
One of the solutions to develop disease resistant roses, I would think, is to “go native.” That is, using native species in one’s own region more in breeding programs. It seems there is not enough emphasis on doing this by breeders. This does not necessarily mean solely using species native to a particular region or combining them with species from another region. Especially in cold climate regions, I like the idea of combining them with species native to a similar climate on a different continent. As well, native species could be combined with simple rose types like Rugosas and Gallicas, which generally have very good disease resistance. At least in cold climates like the Northern Great Plains region.
Flower quality is sacrificed by using native species in a breeding program and keeping hybrids developed at a relatively simple level. However, there is too much emphasis anyway on flower quality and not enough on the form and other appealing characteristics of the shrub (I realize this is a hurdle most consumers may never get over). There is no point, of course, developing hybrids with great flower quality if the shrub is not disease resistant. This is what’s happened with several of the Parkland rose cultivars (In defense of them, they had relatively good disease resistance when introduced but it could be predicted problems would develop).
I think it is prettier than some of the newer red hardy shrubs.
I think another positive trait to it is that the roots seem readily adaptable to many conditions. They’re very strong.