Book  (2012)  Page(s) 89.  Includes photo(s).
 
'Rawiri'. Ken Nobbs, in his essay 'Forgotten Pioneers of Horticulture' (1987), said "I would like to name a rose 'Rawiri Taiwhanga' but am I being naive to believe that the Maori would wish to honour a man who so wholeheartedly embraced the best of European skills and religion." I think that from the distance in time, both Maori and Pakeha should be pleased to have such a beautiful rose named for this warrior chief, who appeared to see the best in what the missionaries had to offer. The rose is now only known as 'Rawiri' and is one of my favourites, but I can find no record of its breeding or date of release, and there is no registration form to guide us. It has deep mauve, almost double blooms which are fragrant. it flowers profusely on a healthy rambling plant. We planted it next to 'Mary Davis' where it blended nicely with the purple-mauve flowers of 'Mary'. It is less of a thug than most rambling roses and grows discreetly. It is one which should not be lost, but allowed to travel our highways as Ken would wish, on fences across the land, showing its glory for the passers by.