I recall that somebody was hybridizing with this species because of its natural mauve color. So it's interesting to see that it really is quite mauve. And very determined, too!

Hi Jackie...

I wish I had known you were coming up to Trinity County. You can see my house from Main Street when you are driving by Lee Fong Park on your way to Coffee Creek. Altho' you are always welcome, I have to tell you, I always think my garden is a total mess and have too many projects going at once.

According to Alice Jones, in her book Flowers and Trees of the Trinity Alps, there are only three species roses native to Trinity County. All of the other species roses have been brought here by migrating birds, animals and people.

The three native species roses are:
Rosa Gymnocarpa -- 3 to 9 leaves
Rosa Pisocarpa -- darker pink, almost mauve compared to Rosa Califorinia
Rosa Spithama -- a low growing rose 6" to 12 "

I have seen a few stands of Rosa Californica and a few variations of Rosa Canaia, but haven't been able to identify a couple of other species roses I've found.

You can pick up a copy of Alice's book at either the Historical Museum or at Budman's Book Mine. She was a botanist that hiked all over Trinity County recoreding and photographing plants native to TC. I had a chance to meet her when I first moved up here... what a great lady.

Smiles,
Lyn

Michael - re the color - I saw one of the bushes in full bloom in a prior visit when I didn't have my camera - about 20 flowers on it, and they were all even darker - I would call it cerese.

Lyn - we don't drive through Weaverville to get to CC ( we take the Lewiston road), but we do get to Weaverville to go shopping occasionally - I will contact you offline next time - we will be going up several more times this summer, and I would love to see your garden.

Jackie

Looks like my plant of Rosa woodsii. Has a great clove-like fragrance.

Diane

Jackie...

Today, I am not calling it a garden. It's a dang weed patch with some rose plants sticking up out of the weeds !

But, yes, you are welcome to come by any time you are in the area.

Smiles,
Lyn

Thanks Jackie. Don't you love finding roses in the wild?

I do like finding roses in the wild - it is such a refreshing sight after reading some rose magazines where most of the articles are all about the chemicals and magic rose food ingredients that they say you must put on your roses, and all of the endless chores such as deadheading, cleaning up every leaf that falls, etc. Makes me laugh! These roses are thriving, and live in nature, competing with other plants (and asphalt!), and doing just fine. As you can see from the pictures, there are some bug eaten holes in some leaves, but no blackspot, no rust, no mildew at all! I must have missed the man who sprays them every 2 weeks.........

Jackie