You're right. That's beautiful. Can you tell us where in the country you are? Maybe, dates on any of the surrounding headstones?

Jeri

Thank you! I am in the DC metro area (Eastern Panhandle of WV). Not sure what the dates on the surrounding headstones are, but I do know that most are from the 1900-1920s. This is definitely a late turn-of-the-century cemetery. As you probably can see from the photo, this rose is not on a headstone, but growing in the middle of a bush/tree. It obviously takes some serious shade.

I'm thinking this is definitely a Polyantha. I've been looking on the net and in my Encyclopedia of Roses, and the closest that this even resembles (so far, in my limited search) is Dick Koster.

It looks like it could be a multiflora rambler.

Can you give a little more detail on the bloom? Are there some white stripes there or is the center white?
I did grow Dick Koster and it has glossy foliage with a red petiole and the leaf has different margins.

That tree is probably a latter-day intruder.

I DO wish we could see inside the blooms. Does it look like they ever open all the way? Or do they remain cupped?

Do you have material you can root?

Jeri

There are no white stripes, that there is some white in the center and at the base of the reverse. The blooms average about 1 inch. Here are some more pictures:

{{gwi:284764}}

{{gwi:284765}}

Jeri: I think that the blooms remain cupped. I had to pry one of the little blooms open to take a picture.

Sorry, triple posting to note that I took three cuttings. They are all happily in their pots with tents.

Robin Hood? (the hybrid musk)

You need to look for something with those extraordinary glandular structures on the sepals. Are they sticky? Is there a fragrance there???
Nice white "eye."

It's not a rose I know AT ALL.

Jeri

It does look like Robin Hood, Belmont. The foliage of this one does not look as glossy though.
At the least, those sepals will be able to rule OUT a lot of roses...I can't find a good enough pic of the buds of Robin Hood to see the sepals.

I agree with Jeri that the glands are also a good clue. I don't see enough detail to see glands in the Robin Hood photos on HMF and glands are not mentioned in the description either so I'm not sure. I don't grow it but I did see it in northeast PA in front of an early 2oth century house last summer.

If it's a rambler I'd love to know what it is. The Walsh Ramblers were popular then and many of them are lost. Wonder if Paustris or Dan Russo still stop by.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I wouldn't qualify the foliage as glossy. It is pretty unremarkable, actually. FWIW, the sepals aren't sticky.

Since this rose is close to my work, I'll stop by today and check out some of the dates on the headstones surrounding it.

This looks very much like a polyantha that I collected from a cemetery in Fauquier County, Virginia, a few years ago. Still don't have an ID on it ... haven't tried too hard, tho.

Around here, it is VERY common to find La Marne in cemeteries. (I have been told that it's been known at the Mother's Day rose, so it makes sense that grieving relatives would plant this rose on Mama's grave. In my experience, the color of the flowers of La Marne vary GREATLY at different times and under various conditions. La Marne's flowers don't open flat, remaining a bit cupped, and they dry like paper before the petals eventually fall off.

Good thing you took cuttings. The mother plant of that polyantha I collected has been gone for a couple of years. I'm fairly certain that it was a victim of herbicide, since the hosta it was growing through is also completely gone. All that's left is a weeds patch of Bermuda grass. Sad for the cemetery, but fortunate that it lives on in my garden and the garden of others I shared it with.

I'm gonna run out to the garden and compare sepals and receptacles on La Marne and my Sumerduck Cemetery rose to see if either is a match for you.

Thank you, hartwood. Funny, I was just reading your blog yesterday evening when I was googling around trying to find some comparison photos/info about rose rustling. I read about your Sumerduck rose and your other adventures.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sumerduck Rose

UPDATE - The rose appears to belong to a grave dated 1918. The headstone is directly behind the bush about 3 feet.

That's a nice story. LaMarne turns up out here in the West, too.

There was a real beauty in San Juan Bautista -- hefty, maybe 5 ft. tall -- but it was on private property, and the next time we went back, it was gone. Many of the old ones are going, now.

Those sepals are pretty interesting. You'd think they would facilitate identification, and maybe they will -- but there are a whole bunch of wonderful Found Roses which are never identified, including some that may never have had a documented historical identity.

And that's OK.

"That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

Jeri

I think Orleans Rose. It's one we've found in a Calif. cemetery, so I know it's a survivor.
Jill

Here is a link that might be useful: photo of Orleans Rose

Could your cemetery rose be Hiawatha? It was very popular at one time and fits the description, including the white eye.

Could your cemetery rose be Hiawatha? It was very popular at one time and fits the description, including the white eye.

Jill, does your Orleans Rose have those glandular buds???

(I loved that rose, but it died for me.)

Jeri

Hmm, looking at both descriptions, it looks like it could be either Hiawatha or Orleans. More likely Orleans, since Hiawatha indicates that it is quite thorny and this one is not.

It's not always easy to figure them out.

Fred Boutin told me that, when he found a beautiful pink rose in Altadena, CA he didn't worry about giving it a "fancy" Study Name. He felt that a rose that good would be quickly identified, so he just called it "Altadena Drive Pink HP."

That was in 1979.

Many subsequent discoveries and study names later -- many identification suggestions later -- we still don't know for sure what Historic Identity that rose had.

We're still calling it "Grandmother's Hat" -- its second and best-known Study Name.

Jeri

Well, at least I found a couple of people who would like to nurture this rose if more than one of my cuttings take. There is just something about seeing such an old plant with much sentimental value to the original planter survive in others gardens.

Now, fingers crossed that my cuttings take. I think I'll drive over and trim off the dead word and give some Rosetone to the mother plant tomorrow for some extra Karma.

Regardless of name, everyone seems to agree that this rose is a real beauty.

Isn't that GREAT?

It'all be a fine thing if you find out what it is, Jewelie -- but just in case you don't, think of a good STUDY Name. I like using Family Plot Names, or names from headstones, but this one's all yours. :-)

Jeri

I used to grow robin hood, it is Very thorny.

That rose is definitely not 'Hiawatha', although from the glandular pedicel it could have 'Turner's Crimson Rambler' in its heritage. Admittedly, it is hard to see from the photos, but it does seem a good match for 'Orleans Rose'. Check out the shape of the leaves: they are quite blunt shaped. Also look at the glandular pedicels in the photo below. It would be interesting to compare the stipules of the two roses (the found rose and 'Orleans Rose').

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Orleans Rose'