How Are Roses Named?

There are many requirements for registering a rose's name.

Roses have colorful names such as Be My Baby, Tooth Fairy and Deja Blue. They have even been named honoring famous people from John F. Kennedy to Queen Victoria, and Ronald Reagan to Dolly Parton. To make the name of a rose official, it must go pass stringent testing by the American Rose Society, the governing organization in the United States for authenticating and registering the names of new rose cultivars.

Registering Cultivar Names

A new hybrid rose breed is a cultivar. n order to have the cultivar officially sanctioned and the name registered with the ARS, the cultivar goes through lengthy examinations conducted by the ARS testing how the rose performs in a variety of garden settings and conditions. The cultivar breeder applies to a governing body, such as the ARS, the Royal Horticulture Society of London or the International Rose Cultivar Registration Authority. The registering organization requires detailed information about the rose's lineage and characteristics. There are extensive guidelines regarding the name. The IRCA requires the cultivar name have no more than 10 syllables and no more than 30 letters or characters. The trial and name registration process with any accredited organization can take 2 years or longer for an application to be approved or denied.

ARS Rose Classifications

TThe ARS registers roses according to classifications. The classification name describes the group to which the cultivar belongs in terms of its growing characteristics. The main ARS categories include Old Garden Roses, Miniature Roses, Climbing Roses, Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, Polyanthas, Ramblers and Climbers. When the ARS authenticates a rose, the classification name is an important feature. A hybrid tea rose, for example is limited to growing a height no more than 5 feet. A Floribunda is named because it produces large clusters of blooms on each brand. Old Garden Roses are bushy roses with a high petal count and a heavy fragrance.

Names of Rose Colors

There are also official names for the colors of registered roses. When a breeder submits an application to have a new cultivar registered, she can only use one of the 18 colors recognized by the ARS. The official rose colors are: apricot and apricot blend, deep pink, dark red, deep yellow, light pink, light yellow, mauve and mauve blend, medium pink, medium yellow, orange and orange blend, orange pink, pink blend, russet, red blend; white, near white and white blend; or yellow blend. Rose registrants cannot use any other name or create their own name for a registered cultivar.

Rose Naming Agents

Rose breeders sometimes turn to agents to get a new rose cultivar officially named and registered. One well-known company that conducts this service is the J.B. Williams Company of Silver Spring, Maryland, has been breeding and naming roses for private individuals since 1972. They are also the creators of Mini-Flora Roses. Fees can run $15,000 or more.

References

• American Rose Society: About Roses
• Royal National Rose Society; Roses Tell the History of the Royal National Rose Society; July 1,, 2005
• World Federation of Rose Societies: About The World Federation of Rose Societies
• Lily's Rose Garden: Roses Names After Famous People and Celebrities
• Jackson & Perkins: Understanding Rose Classifications
• Love of Roses: Rose Names

Resources

• Rose Gardening Guru: Stop and Grow the Roses
• Help Me Find; Ben Williams; Father of the Mini-Flora Rose; Gus Banks
• International Rose Cultivar Registration Authority: ICRA Registration Form