Dr. Huey a Rose Sucker
Annie's Annuals- Spring 2012

Rosa Sericea Pteracantha


R. sericea pteracantha

Rosa-sericea-pteracantha-leaves

Photography and rose loving are a matchless and priveleged combination. Surprizes (to the photographer) like the image above are small joys. Big joys come when this photographer falls so hard for a rose she's compelled to capture its every phase. Please join me in exploring the wonders of 

 

R-sericea-rose

Rosa sericea pteracantha, a species rose first found in France in 1890.

 

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Rosa-sericea-pteracantha-new-leaves

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Rosa-sericea-pteracantha

Rosa-sericea-pteracantha-buds

Rosa-sericea-pteracantha-fleur

Rosa-sericea-pteracantha-flower

Aside from having the rose world's most extraordinary thorns, buds that look like pearls, and swoon-worthy foliage, can you find anything remarkable about this simple flower? Count the petals. There are only  f o u r. All single roses have five petals. Unique yes, but sweetly so, and yet . . . let's move on

 

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to a momentary finale before

 

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the devil himself appears.

 

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Not really.

 

Rosa-sericea-pteracantha-canes

After blooming new cane growth dramatically appears like the can-can on a Parisian stage. 

 

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Back-lit thorns festoon rosedom with its brightest jewels.

 

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Of coarse deer aren't too fond of this rose, but the thorns aren't as scary as they look. Supple when red, and quite thin as they age. Die-back is common on about a quarter of the canes in winter. This rose is not easy to come by. It's difficult to propagate, but oddly, 5-gallon shrubs tend to sometimes appear for sale during the summer

The picture in the vase above was taken a couple of years ago, after the pegged cane came back home from the display table at the Celebration of Old Roses. All those laterals sprouted thanks to pegging.

 

Rosa-sericea-pteracantha-bud-vase

 

If you have a tale to tell about this rose, we'd love to hear it.

 

 

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