Thursday, April 15, 2010

Miscellaneous early roses in China Valley

At the head of the paved China Valley path, on the left side there is a rock with a rose growing over it. Rosa sericea pteracantha, the Wingthorn Rose isn't really grown for its flowers but for the spectacular winged thorns that adorn the twigs. The single flowers are attractive enough though, and have a pleasant fragrance. Continue around the curve and just a little ways on your left is Rosa chinensis minima. Nice little flowers start early and continue to frost with a mild but distinctly old rose fragrance.
Across the path and about halfway to the next bend is a graceful arching shrub with single pale yellow flowers covering the dark curving stems. Rosa hugonis, or Father Hugo's Rose is one of the classic Chinese introductions from the turn of the last centurI don't get any fragrance but it is a quite beautiful plant.
Look on the other side of the path again a bit farther down and there's a Rosa primula, with attractive single yellow flowers and fragrant foliage.

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