Thank you all for your replies :) I'm not sure of it could be a Rugosa? They are sold around here sometimes so it is a possibility, but I don't know if the leaves/bloom etc fits . . . Trospero - I would lean towards rootstock too, as it seemed to be own-root (when I moved it) and almost no nursery around here sells ownroot roses. Also it had been in shade and neglected for so long, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the rose died and the rootstock took over. I do know that it seems to sucker. It will also stretch up really long canes if necessary to try to find some light, but I'm guessing that most roses do that. I will keep an eye to see if it reblooms or not this summer. I think I remember it setting hips last year as well, but my memory is a bit foggy. So we're thinking R. Canina? I know that I wouldn't want to grow R.Multiflora as a rose because it seems to be a carrier for serious rose diseases . . . does the same go for R.Canina or would it be fine to grow in the garden?

What fawnridge and wisconsintom said. The part of the plant which is dying is the rosette which flowered. But under the dying leaves, around the trunk, there may be baby plants -- new rosettes -- and if there aren't any currently, there may/will be more soon. You can cut off the bloom stem now, or if you want seeds, you can let the seeds mature and maybe plant some. Do an image search for agave "seed pods" to see what seeds and ripe seed pods look like. HOWEVER, your photos of the stem show new leaves among the dried flowers -- and I believe those will turn into baby plants! (Something similar happens occasionally on daylily flower stems: I have a tiny daylily which started that way and is spending the winter with my houseplants.) Here's a page which talks about this process. Unfortunately it doesn't give information about planting the plantlets or bulbils, but the C&S forum folks can probably help: http://www.azfcf.org/docs/DAC/Bulbils.Blackburn.pdf

Donna - my library is just 4 me, or those I show, not 'published' Thank you. DoCO - MMM had a scape last year but I completely missed the flower, drats. No sign of scape as yet thus year. Watched pots don't boil. Mark Hanner wants a piece but when I tried to get a division all I got was 4 stalks with leaves, so I had to send his neighbor home empty-handed. New spring pips next year should give better results - way too big to dig up . . .

I'm bidding on a part of a supply contract with City of Edmonton. At present they are saying that nurseries cannot have *any* material from Ontario Quebec. They are *really* scared of theis Emerald Ash borer thing. I think they are worried about the possibility of it in packing material? Don't know, and I may be misinterpreting things. The lilacs are personal at this time, but I don't want to take chances until I understand better. What's the name of the Quebec grower? They may better know the exact rules.