Article (misc)  (2 Apr 2015)  
 
Personal correspondence: Robert Erskine to Percy Wright, Percy Wright fonds:
The red flowered Rosa acicularis that you mentioned as doing so well this year might be my Aurora. I don't remember just when I sent you plants of it. My red one differs from Porter's in the petals. The Shellbrook's petals have a space between them and the flowers form a 5 point star when wide open while the Aurora's petals overlap and form a scalloped moon in form. Shellbrook has very long hips and Auroras hips are plumper. Both have bluish foliage but Aurora's leaves are nearer round in form. I have seedlings that are a cross of the two but they have not bloomed yet.

Book  (Apr 1993)  Page(s) 33.  
 
Aurora Species, red, R. acicularis variety; Found by Erskine in Alberta, Canada, about 1950. Description.

Article (misc)  (1985)  
 
Walter Schowalter notes :
Aurora - R. acicularis selected from the wild by Robert Erskine. An excellent shrub for a wildling, 5-6 feet tall. Large, attractive deep colored foliage, and large, single, bright deep rose to red flowers, followed by typical acicularis fruit. No rust so far. A choice wild rose.

Article (misc)  (1973)  
 
Walter Schowalter notes:
Aurora - R. acicularis, found by Robt Erskine north of Leslieville. Notable in two respects: 1. Blossoms are large, and bright red. 2. Plants send out suckers very rarely. Leaflets 9, elliptic, midrib curved, slightly troughed. Leaf 11 cm. Leaflets 4.0 x 2.3 to 2.7 x 1.5. slightly rugose.

Article (misc)  (26 Mar 1965)  
 
Personal correspondence Robert Erskine to Walter Schowalter :
I have found some interesting plants of R. acicularis. The one I named Aurora" has red flowers with thick wide petals (5) and good foliage that colors well in the fall. It is the only non-suckering wild rose that I have ever observed, so is slow propagating.