Rustling roses today and look what I found!

14 years ago

I was looking for roses (to take cuttings) today in the old cemeteries around Birmingham, AL and I found this amazing tea rose. Found in Elmwood Cemetery in block 2. The lower numbered blocks are the oldest parts of the cemetery. The grave marker was from 1912. The blooms are around 3-3.5" and are creamy lighter pink in the center with darker pink outer petals. The older blooms are completely darker pink. Tea fragrance. Anyone recognize this rose? Any guesses?

Whole bush was approximately 10 feet tall and 15 feet wide.

New bloom. Sorry,bit blurry. I was having a bit of a problem with the auto focus on my camera.

New Bloom.

Another bloom

{{gwi:244556}}

Old bloom with my thumb for scale.

Leaves.

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Comments (11)

zeffyrose
14 years ago
I hope someone can identify this great old rose. what a treat to see it in person.

Florence
cemeteryrose
14 years ago
Looks like Mme Lombard (Lambard) to me. We find it often in cemeteries in California. It's color is very changeable, as you found, and it can get huge - but that's a very, very big one! Beautiful. Wonderful that it hasn't been hacked to stubs or pruned like everybody "knows" a rose should be!
Anita
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If it flowers you could always as them for some seeds, they may not come true but you never know! That’s a plumeria next to it isn’t it? I used to grow those too, fantastic scent, mine was a common Celadine I grew from a cutting my aunt in Australia gave to me.
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collinw
Original Author
14 years ago
Could be Mme. Lombard. Photos on HMF are similar.The obelisk shaped marker that it is eating is about 7 ft. tall.I have no explanation as to why this rose hasn't been 'hacked to stubs'. There is a Mons. Tillier in the same cemetery that is chopped down to about 3 ft tall. I have a couple of additional roses that I found that I will be posting soon. I grow a number of teas, but it is rare to see such a mature specimen. I am going to keep an eye on it. I took about 10 cuttings, so hopefully I'll have some starts in a few months.Thanks.
jerijen
14 years ago
I, too, think 'Mme. Lombard/Lambard' -- and rejoice at its size and beauty.
Is this Elmwood Cemetery right in Birmingham?
My people came from Jasper, up in Walker Co. -- practically in the neighborhood. :-)

Jeri
jill_perry_gw
14 years ago
I also think Mme Lambard.
Jill
collinw
Original Author
14 years ago
Jeri
Yes, it is near the University of Alabama at Birmingham's campus (UAB)on MLK Drive. I think that the cemetery is around 400 acres and was established in 1900. Most of the roses I have found here are modern, so imagine my surprise when I saw this flowering mound in the distance. I couldn't believe that it was not chopped down to a 3 ft stub, like most of the rest of the roses. I have not explored the whole cemetery, as of yet, so who knows what I will find. It was really exciting to me because I grow a number of teas, but they are all less than 7 years old. Rarely, do you see a mature specimen.Which is weird to me, since they grow so well in this climate. There is a lot of space around this particular obelisk, and the neighboring markers are flat with the ground. So, I guess the grounds crew just leave her alone, since there is space for her to grow.
jerijen
14 years ago
What a wonderful find. I'm glad you got good pix of it.

Jeri
luxrosa
14 years ago
Lovely.
Thank you for sharing your photo of the Tea rose.
To my eyes, a mature Tea rosebush that has been allowed to spread its' busy canes is among the most luxerious sights to see in a rose garden.

Lux.
gardennatlanta
14 years ago
This looks like a great place to go this summer. Would you mind giving me an idea of where in this huge cemetery this rose is located?

Also, what other cemeteries around Birmingham have older roses?

Thanks for posting the pictures. Jeff
cweathersby
14 years ago
Looks like Mme Lombard to me, too. Cool find! I love to think that my roses may be around long after I'm not. Long as no bulldozer comes along!
collinw
Original Author
14 years ago
Jeff, the cemetery is laid out in Blocks that are marked by signs. This rose is near Block 2. The lower numbered blocks are the earliest graves. The nearest grave marker is Patrick Maloney, 1845-1912. The obelisk that the rose is growing around just says Maloney at the base.

There are a lot of modern roses and a number of OGR's but most are hacked down to size by the grounds crew. If you would like a cutting I could send you one. I took about 10 or so.