Those of you who have had the privilege of growing the species rose known as Rosa bracteata might feel about it as I do (an odd combination of ardent admiration, respect and exhilaration), the way that one might view an impossibly wild animal - like a beast whose beauty can never really be captured and maintained outside of nature.

R. bracteata must be considered one of the great, dangerous and achingly beautiful wild beasts of the rose kingdom. Its almost coy and deceptively demure whiteness and simple beauty belie its nature, which, like a lion's, is wild and impossible to really tame, at least in a climate that suits its taste.

Its taste includes most of the Southern half of the United States (an area to which it is so well suited that it was considered to be native) - even though it is thought to have truly originated long ago in China, brought back from that great geographic repository of rosa germ plasm by one British Ambassador, Lord McCartney in 1793 - hence it's other appellation: 'The McCartney Rose.'

It is remarkably easy to grow and is not choosy about soils or fertilizer - but is sadly tender to cold. R. bracteata is a survivor and a doer in every other way with outstanding disease resistant and evergreen foliage that is nearly holly-like in quality. It is totally immune to blackspot.

Up until now we have had odd chances to enjoy the offspring of this great rose, but counted among its few offspring are creatures of legend. 'Mermaid' is ranked with some of the greatest roses of all time and rightly so as it is a thing of rare beauty, but like its parent it too has a dark side and those of you who grow it know what I mean. Few roses are as rampageous and greedy in their desire to just grow! The single yellow, 'Mermaid' is literally a "house-eater" in some climates. Only the stone battlements of Sleeping Beauty's castle would suit its tastes long term - and it does live a very long time, reaching tree-like proportions in the scale of its older wood.

One of the other characteristics of R. bracteata that makes it particularly vicious, is the quality of its thorns. They are extremely sharp and cruel and they are remarkably strong, even for a rose. They truly demand and require respect and can literally tear the palms out of heavy leather work gloves. This being said, there is nothing more lovely and classic than a single species rose and even among species roses this is a rare beauty. There is a waxiness, a heavy substance and sheen to the petal that is truly unique and wondrous, with a heady, strong perfume and lovely contrasting golden stamens.

There is simply no other rose quite like it, and that is what has fascinated and has inspired many to possess and tame it through hybridization. Turning it to their will, up until recently, has remained a tantalizingly elusive goal that many experts considered nearly impossible. At the Great Rosarians Lecture held at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, in January of 2002, Ralph Moore mentioned that perhaps one of the greatest and luckiest crosses he ever made was that of R. bracteata x 'Guinee' (dark red climber, 1938). The offspring of this unlikely marriage was an unassuming variety named 'Muriel', 1989. 'Muriel' herself was no great beauty and she was, in fact, a frumpy pink rose lacking desired form and growth habit, but Moore knew that she could be, with luck, the progenitor of a new race of fabulous and unique hybrid bracteata roses. He hoped he could unlock the genetic diversity present within the genes of R. bracteata and make possible a whole range of genetic expression heretofore unavailable to hybridizers and eventually to the gardeners and gardens of the world.

He set about using 'Muriel' and through trial and error, unerring faith, and perseverance, he did just that. 'Muriel', in herself by all rights, should be infertile. She should be triploid and therefore unable to produce offspring - a botanical mule. In another twist of luck and fate 'Muriel' was found to have fertility through use of her pollen. In the hands of Mr. Moore, 'Muriel's pollen was used to produce several different hybrids including the beautiful climber 'Pink Powderpuff'.

But it wasn't until he made a cross with one of his miniatures, 'Sequoia Gold', that he knew he was on the road to really making R. bracteata viable in terms of future hybridity. The offspring of that cross ('Sequoia Gold' x 'Muriel') was a shrub rose named 'Out of Yesteryear'. 'Out of Yesteryear' is a great beauty in its own right, an extremely double white that would not look out of place beside many of the Old Garden Roses and Austin type roses, but for its unique foliage - but the pollen again has proven to be the key to passing along those unique bracteata genes.

In 2002, Moore introduced three incredible new hybrid bracteatas using 'Out of Yesteryear'. These are 'Tangerine Jewel', 'Precious Memories', and last but not least (and most amazingly to me) a miniature named 'Stardust'. It is with 'Stardust' that I wish to make the point of this article. It is an important, stunning and beautiful thornless white miniature. 'Stardust', is to me, a rose of utter bewilderment and amazement, yet another crowning achievement by the man who has accomplished and contributed so much to those of us who love roses.

In a mere three generations, R. bracteata, that man-eating lion of the rose world, has in fact, "become the lamb." Still demure and white, but now with nothing to fear, the smallest child can play next to and "eye to eye" with the afore-mentioned "vicious" rose. It is part of a man's dream of the future and in defiance of all the odds.

We who love roses live in truly exciting and fortunate times. Mr. Moore, thank you for having the dream and the fortitude to carry it through. Occasionally we need to pause and take inventory of the miracles happening around us. This is truly one such miracle that we can all enjoy!