“The rose has the distinction of being one of the longest cultivated ornamental plants to be found in today’s gardens. It owes that distinction in no small way to the fact that roses are found in the wild around the globe between the Arctic Circle and the equatorial zone.
The Rose – Dr. Griffith Buck
This long held desire to grow roses in the garden spurred the beginnings of the improvement of this genus in the middle of the 19thcentury.
“The history of rose improvement coincides closely with the periods of expansion in the areas of exploration, economics and the arts. The introduction of everblooming China roses into European horticulture was a spin-off from commercial expansion in the orient. The introduction of Rosa rugosa, Rosa multiflora, and Rosa wichuraiana came with the opening of cultural and trade with Japan. And it was this time that rose improvement began at Iowa State.”
Iowa State Roses – Dr. Griffith Buck
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