I came upon this small, rough looking rose a few years back. It was being sold at a fund raising event for the Zimmerman Heritage House (a pioneer property east of Portland). The rose was a start from the Rugosa Rose, which was planted on the property. ‘Cool’, I thought. I want a piece of gardening history from this interesting pioneer farm.
For several years, the rose bloomed and the rose stayed contained; nice and tidy. It stood in a section of the back yard, against a fence, staying tucked away and less showy than the hybrids. Well, as if insulted by my neglect, the Rugosa Rose has exploded with shoots coming forth from the ground and now the rose is a good four times as wide and twice as high! A rose bush has become a rose BUSH! It has plenty of room to spread. I have never had a rose grow like this and in researching the Rugosa Rose, I read that it is ‘invasive’ in regions of Asia and Europe along coastal areas. I can tell this would be a tough one to contain.
SwittersB & Exploring 