I noticed today that my beautiful ‘Alika’ was in bloom. HMF lists it a a Hybrid Gallica. It was brought to the US in 1906 from St. Petersburg, Russia.
I was wondering if it’s winter hardiness would be of interest in anyone’s breeding program.
Cerise, yellow stamens. Moderate fragrance. Average diameter 4". Large, single to semi-double, flat bloom form. Once-blooming spring or summer. Suckers on its own roots. Large, dark green foliage. Height of 4’ to 8’ (120 to 245 cm). USDA zone 3b through 8b.
It is a once bloomer, tall with 4’-8’ canes, fragrant and suckers on it’s own roots.
Fred Boutin notes that ‘Alika’ is a selection of Rosa gallica grandiflora that Niels Ebbsen Hansen purchased at the Regel & Keselring Nursery in St. Petersburg, Russia and introduced to North America in 1906. In his catalogs Regel listed this rose as a species/wild rose rather than as a garden cultivar.
I anyone would like to have some of this pollen, let me know.
Oops! I got the country wrong as well as the other species. The note was sent 27 March 1996. Aila Korhonen in Finland was discussing a “found” rose that was thought to be Rosa gallica ‘Grandiflora’.
‘Alika’ is supposed to be a selection from ‘Grandiflora’.
"The Institute of Botany in Helsinki University has a collection of russian nursery catalogs and garden journals from the 19th century and up to the russian revolution. I don’t know how old material they have but probably not earlier than 1808, for before that we were part of Sweden. Much is in german.
"R. gallica ‘Grandiflora’ is mentioned in a Regel & Kesselring catalog from 1881. That was a big nursery which sold to Finland, too. We had several sanatories here, where the russian elite from St Petersburg spend their summers (I appreciate their taste . The info about that rose being from a cross between a gallica and R. rugosa is not in that catalog, but may be in some rose book, I was told by Pentti Alanko, who has gathered old roses. In this catalog, R.g.‘Grandiflora’ is not marked as double.
"Pentti Alanko also told, that there is not much left in St Petersburg. The russians have been asking from Finland, if something has been saved here. War destroyed much of what was left by the revolution. It is just by chance if you hit a ‘found’ rose, as it is largely in Finland.
“I talked with prof. Annikki Palmen, who has retired from the Institute of Botany. She said that our ‘found’ rose, with signs of cross between gallica and rugosa, has exceptionally large blossoms, 10 to 12 cm (more than 4”), when established, so they connected it to the name ‘Grandiflora’. She said that somebody has an interesting task to read the old litterature saved in the Institute."
Wow…that was really interesting. Amazing how our history of roses is often dictated by wars and weather calamities. I’m so pleased that you sent that information along. It is appreciated.
. The info about that rose being from a cross between a gallica and R. rugosa is not in that catalog, but may be in some rose book, I was told by Pentti Alanko, who has gathered old roses. In this catalog, R.g.‘Grandiflora’ is not marked as double.