 Gardeners who love roses and who live and garden in cold climates are often beside themselves when trying to find roses that will overwinter
successfully year after year, said a University of Illinois Extension
horticulture educator.
"A
real bonus would be a rose that needed minimal or no winter protection
and still make it through the winter undamaged," said Greg Stack.
"Well, for our northern gardening friends, as well as all the others,
there is a solution. Invite a Canadian Explorer to your garden."
The
Canadian Explorer series of roses is a group of about 22 cultivars bred
from the 1960s through the 1990’s at the agricultural research stations
first in Ottawa, Ontario, and later at l’Assumption, Quebec.
"They
were bred to withstand the cold Canadian winters with genetics coming
from rugosas and Kordesii hybrids," he explained. "These roses were
given names to honor famous Canadian explorers, individuals who
themselves had to endure unbelievable hardship."
Canadian
explorer roses are mostly pinks and reds with a few yellows. While they
don’t bloom continuously, many do have repeat blooming when dead
headed. They also show remarkable winter hardiness even in zones 2 and
3.
The
following selections from this series of roses can be broken down into
three basic groups: those with long canes or climbers, rugosas, and
shrub types.
"Among
those with long canes making them dependable climbers is ‘William
Baffin,’" Stack said. "This rose has fragrant deep pink, double blooms.
Growing to 10 feet tall, it also has orange hips (fruit) that offers
winter interest.
"William
Baffin was a British explorer who in 1615-1616 was sent to find the
Northwest Passage which would have made it easier for seafarers to more
quickly reach the spice markets in the Orient."
‘Henry
Hudson’ is another climber growing to eight feet. It has red,
semi-double flowers with a spicy fragrance. This rose is named after
the first inland explorer for the Hudson Bay Co. in the 1600s.
‘John
Davis’ is a climber growing to eight feet with glossy green foliage and
contrasting red canes. The double pink blooms have a spicy scent. John
Davis was a navigator in the 1500s whose exploration led to a passage
from Europe to the Indies. The strait between Baffin Island and
Greenland now bears his name.
"‘John
Cabot’ is a very vigorous climber growing to nine feet," he said. "The
orchid-red to fuchsia-pink fragrant blooms are followed by orange hips
in the fall.
"John
Cabot was an Italian explorer sailing under the British flag. He landed
in Newfoundland in 1497 and believed he bested Columbus by finding a
more direct route to Asia."
Other good Canadian Explorers that are climbers include "Captain Samuel Holand" and "Quadra."
The
rugosa roses that carry explorer names all have fairly unique foliage
that is often rich green and highly textured with canes that are
usually very thorny.
‘David
Thompson’ has deep pink, double flowers with an intense fragrance. It
grows to about four feet tall and unlike most rugosas does not produce
hips and has very few thorns making it good for cutting.
David Thompson was an 18th century Canadian geographer and famous fur trader.
"‘Henry
Hudson’ is a more compact form of rose growing to about three feet
tall," Stack said. "The rounded pink-tinged buds open to a full white
bloom that has the scent of cloves. In cooler weather the blooms take
on a slight pink coloration.
"Henry
Hudson is noted for the exploration of the bay north of Ontario that
now carries his name, in search for the Northwest Passage. Henry Hudson
was reportedly last seen by members of his mutinous crew in 1611."
‘Martin
Frobisher’ produces light pink blooms with a sweet fragrance. Growing
to about four feet tall, it has reddish-brown canes with hardly any
thorns close to the bloom. In the winter, the color of the canes
deepens, contrasting nicely with the snow.
Martin Frobisher was the 16th century explorer who led the first English exploration to explore the Northwest Passage.
Other good Canadian Explorer rugosa-type roses include "Jens Munk" and Charles Albanel."
"In
the shrub rose class, ‘Champlain’ is probably the most beautiful," he
said. "The dark velvety red blooms are held in clusters and have a
light scent. In the fall there is a profusion of orange hips. Champlain
grows to about three feet tall.
"Samuel
de Champlain has been called the “Father of New France” (Quebec) and is
believed to be the first to cultivate roses in North America."
‘George
Vancouver’ produces clusters of red flowers giving way to an impressive
display of red hips in the fall. This is a medium-sized rose growing to
about three feet tall. George Vancouver was a surveyor of the 1700s and
was the first to circumnavigate the island now known as Vancouver.
‘Simon
Fraser’ is a small rose growing to two feet tall and good for small
space gardens. It produces lightly scented pink flowers in clusters.
The first flowers of the season are usually single and as the season
progresses they get to be semi-double. Simon Fraser was a Canadian
explorer whose travels resulted in the first settlements in British
Columbia.
‘Louis
Jolliet’ is a taller shrub rose growing to about four feet tall. The
medium pink flowers are produced in clusters and have a spicy
fragrance. In the fall, small orange hips are produced.
Louis Jolliet was an explorer of the 1600s who led the first French expedition down the Mississippi River.
Other shrub-type Canadian Explorers are "John Franklin" and "Alex McKenzie."
The
first yellow rose introduced as part of the explorer series is ‘J.P.
Connell,’´Stack said. "It is also one of the few that does not honor a
Canadian explorer. This rose is a light lemon yellow and offers an
intense fragrance. It is also one of the best hardy yellow roses
growing to about four feet.
The
Explorer series of roses not only survive the Great Lakes winters but
also do well in the warm summers, exhibiting a great deal of resistance
to black spot and reducing the need for spraying.
"These
roses are the perfect combination of disease resistance, extreme
hardiness, and repeat blooming," he said. "So why not invite a Canadian
Explorer to your garden? Not only will they provide some excellent
color but they can also offer a starting point for conversation about
some very early real-life explorers."
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