June 1953 – Wild Roses – Alberta Canada
I have come to the conclusion that the boundaries of the species are vague, and the country is full of hybrids and variations.
The dwarf prairie rose blooming June to September is one of the most interesting. Flowers vary from small to over 3 inches, color from pure white to quite an intense red. Have never found any complete doubles, but quite a few semi-doubles.
Hayter Pink grows to 1 ½ ft, long stems for a prairie rose, pleasant pink, fairly large, 15 petals, and looks promising. Hayter White is below 1 ft, blooms in enormous clusters. Medium sized, cupped. Pure white except for faint pink rib in bud. Both are ever-blooming.
Rumsey Rose is a deep rose color, but not red. 15 petals. Rather small, petals curled and very pretty when half open. Rumsey pink has 15 petals, but I know no more about it.
There are 2 common varieties I cannot identify. One I think is acicularis. Commonly grows 2 – 6 feet in the sun, but up to 8 ft, and up to 9 ft in the shade. Side branches not very prickly, buds in small clusters up to half a dozen. Flowers medium to small. Leaves small, dark green to blue-green, 5 – 9 leaflets, mostly 7. Berries in pendant sprays, small, round and deep red. Not ever-blooming. Have found a tall growing one at Drumheller, up to 8 ft in the sun. Another here has pretty deep rose flowers, is a lovely dense shrub 3 – 6 ft. tall. Still another is light pink, and grows to 9 ft in the shade. Should be useful for breeding.
The third is the common rose of the woods. Likes shade. Not as tall growing as the former, 2 – 3 feet in the sun and not over 6 feet in the shade. Huge leaves 7 – 8 inches long, leaflets up to 2 ¾ “, light green and thin. Branches fine and arching. Flowers medium to large, only 1 to a stem, fragile looking. Berries very large, long, drooping, orange colored. A very charming and graceful shrub.
One clump has flowers which occasionally throw extra petals. Should be good for crossing.
