Facts on the Rose Plant

The rose plant is one of the most popular of all garden plants because of its beautiful, delicate flowers that come in hundreds of varieties. Roses have been cultivated for thousands of years and are now grown all over the world. Rose enthusiasts frequently breed roses to create new types. There are currently about 150 types of roses. The smallest types grow to less than 2 feet high and the largest can grow as high as 20 feet.

History

Roses have been cultivated for thousands of years and have grown in the wild much longer. In Colorado, rose fossils that are 35 million years old have been found. Persia is believed to be the first place where roses were cultivated. The ancient Egyptians considered roses sacred, offering them to Isis, one of the most important goddesses in their belief system.

Types

There are two main types of cultivated rose plants. Old Garden Roses are rose plant varieties that have been cultivated since 1866 or earlier. In 1867, the hybrid tea rose was first introduced. This began the era of the Modern Garden Rose. Modern rose varieties are known for their vibrant colors and the wide varieties of colors that are available.

Identification

Another type of rose is the species rose. This type is used for all wild rose varieties that have not been cultivated and still grow wild. There are many different types of species rose plants, most of which are specific to a specific climate region. There are varieties that grow wild only in the Southwest U.S., varieties that grow in New England and others that grow only in the Southeast.

Features

Rose plants can grow as shrubs, climbing vines or as small, miniature rose plants. Climbing roses can grow as tall as 14 feet in height. This type of rose is often used for trellises and gazebos. Miniature rose plants are small enough to be grown in indoor containers and bloom with tiny roses that look like smaller versions of the modern garden rose. Shrub roses are the largest category of rose plants and have a wide variation in size, color and the type of care they require.

Geography

Roses are grown in every populated region of the world, but the Netherlands are the largest rose exporter. Almost 20,000 acres of land in the Netherlands is dedicated to rose cultivation. In Central America, Ecuador is an important rose exporter with more than 12,000 acres used for rose cultivation. In Africa, Zambia and Uganda are large exporters of roses. Uganda exports about 25 million roses every month.