I know that some found roses have been compared to known roses and found to be identical and identified that way. But do you think that in some cases--especially where the rose is found in abandoned areas that sometimes they might be seedlings of roses that are long gone? Just something I've wondered about.

Westside Road Cream Tea is also one of my favorites, for all the reasons Luxrosa mentions, except that unfortunately I can't smell it.

I'm going to cheat and mention Grandma's Hat as a close second becaust IT I can smell and the fragrance wafts in the air. It blooms in flushes rather than more constantly like WRCT, but is so healthy and robust that I have to include it.

Ingrid

Sorry. Guess I should have answered the question. My favorite at the moment is Pickering Four Seasons. An unidentified Portland--though Leonie Bell believes it may be Royal Perpetual.

Ingrid, you bet me to it. Grandmother's Hat (aka Barbara Worl) is a scentimental (pun intended) favorite of mine as well. It's the first found rose I was introduced to back in the 1980s when I joined the Heritage Roses group that Miriam Wilkins started. I also met Barbara Worl, the rose's founder and visited her public garden in Palo Alto a number of times. A great rosarian and photographer. I have Grandmother's Hat and love the fragrance. I also recently got a plant of Larry Daniels, the lighter pink sport.

The following is from the Annie's Annuals catalog:

"Barbara Worl lives on the San Francisco Peninsula & found this rose in an abandoned garden in San Jose. She was impressed & took cuttings. No one could identify it as a known rose, thus it became known by the name Barbara gave it: "GrandmotherÂs Hat." She thought the full, pink flowers looked like the hats our grandmothers used to wear."

Diane

I am particularly fond of the "found" clan, tough survivors that thrive in my harsh, inhospitable climate.

#1 Elegant Gallica, first, last and best of all my spring bloomers. Luscious bloom form.
#2 Maggie, need I say more
#3 Ruth's German Rose, vigorous, thornless canes that are easy to train, tons of blooms. Very unique cottagy look. Pretty much agreeable to any abuse/neglect.
#4 Trinity, new to me, gorgeous procelain blooms, needs to be in more gardens. I hope it proves to be hardy in mine.
#5 Huilito, spicy, peppery fragrance unlike any other I know, but sadly hates humidity.
# 6 Natchitoches Noisette, workhorse staple, hard to beat.

It's a difficult decision . . .

"Secret Garden Musk Climber"?
"Grandmother's Hat"?

"Old Town Novato"/"Hudson Crimson"?
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"Benny Lopez"? (This one gets extra points because it was found in Santa Barbara, CA)
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Can I count 'Le Pactole' (found by Fred Boutin, and now identified and returned to commerce).

Jeri

I have 3 found roses. Tied for first place are Arcadia Louisiana Tea for its huge fat flesh colored flowers and Carnation for the delicate white edge on its deep pink petals. Last and least is Martha Gonzales. She really doesn't do much for me.

Sherry

Barbara's Pasture Rose!

Barbara's Pasture Rose!

Had to look that one up at HelpMeFind. What a great rose! Love the name. Makes it sound like something the cows would munch on. (Sorry--brother and I spent childhood summers running through the pastures at our granparents' dairy farm.)

I bought Barbara's Pasture Rose at the Sac City Cemetery Sale last year and was thinking it wouldn't grow for me but she took off this year and is getting big. I'm still reserving judgement as some of her blooms ball for me but she may prove to be a found rose winner after all.

Diane

My favorite has to be Natchitoches Noisette followed closely by Maggie.
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That's VERY nice!

Jeri

Georgetown Tea for its willingness to bloom throughout our brutal Texas summers.

What's the latest on a positive ID for this one?

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ooh, yes, NN is a lovely looking rose - very fond of many noisettes. Would deffo prefer them to teas

Random, A number of rosarians now believe that "Georgetown Noisette" is 'Mme. Lombard.'

That wouldn't surprise me in the least.
Mme. Lombard's been collected in CA under more Studynames than I can recall, because everywhere you see her, she looks different.
Heck, even in my own garden, my "Standiford Plot"/'Mme. Lombard' looks different from one week to another.

What a masquerader she is!

Jeri

Greybird- I was tickled rose-pink to see 'Ruths' German Rose' covering a large plot in Miriams backyard, it wasn't in bloom when we were gathering roses for Morcom Park, but I got a thrill just seeing the plants.
Old Blush-Yours is the most beautiful photo I've ever seen of Nat. Noisette" really stunnning.
Jeri, do you know where Fred found "Le Pactole"? it is one of my favorite Tea roses.

I also am a fan of " Grandmothers Hat", a voluptuous rose.
I forgot about "S.G.C.M" I was heartbroken when it failed in my organic rose garden, too much p.m. to thrive in our cool coastal area.

Thanks to all of you, for posting back.
I have happy memories of most of the roses posted, its' like remembering old freinds, that others have known.
Lux.

Jeri, do you know where Fred found "Le Pactole"? it is one of my favorite Tea roses.

*** Yes, I DO! And this is straight from Fred:

He said he was exploring Sonora (if you haven't been to Sonora, it's a lovely old town. I'm hoping to go back this Fall.)

In a vacant lot that was being used as a dirt parking lot, he found a tiny rose struggling to grow, with little white blooms.
He said, he took it for a Miniature, and thought it might make a nice miniature hedge. Imagine his surprise when it grew, and GREW, AND GREW!

Clearly, the vacant dirt lot encompassed part of a lost garden, but wow, doesn't this just illustrate the persistence of life?
And aren't we enriched by the efforts of Fred et al?

Jeri

Great post---I think it is thrilling to find these old survivors---

This is from a cutting I took from a rose that was bulldozed the next day----

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Florence

Woo-HOO! Florence, that's an incredible beauty.
Does it repeat?

Jeri

Hooray for you Florence for rescuing that rose from oblivion!

Jeri, I long for Benny Lopez and hope he makes it into commerce sometime in the near future.

Diane