Birthday
HydrangeasStreets, festivals and perfumes are named after famous people — and so are flowers. Roses have more "named" varieties than any other flower: breeders dedicate new roses to empresses and actresses, presidents and painters. Here is who the best-known rose varieties are named after and which of them you can still find in gardens today.
How the tradition began
According to Greek legend, the rose was created by Chloris, goddess of flowers: Aphrodite gave it beauty, Dionysus its fragrance and the Graces its joy and brilliance. The real history of named roses began in the 19th century, when breeding became fashionable. Empress Josephine played a big part: at Malmaison she gathered one of the largest rose collections of her time, and an old variety was later named after her.
In the 19th century roses were often named after generals, politicians and aristocrats, giving us 'Général Jacqueminot', 'Général Kléber', 'Cardinal de Richelieu', 'Archiduc Joseph' and 'Baron Girod de l'Ain'. Today tens of thousands of rose varieties are registered, and new named varieties appear every year.
Roses named after actors and musicians
In the mid-20th century, varieties named after film and stage stars became fashionable. The Danish hybrid tea 'Ingrid Bergman', with velvety dark red flowers, is still considered one of the best red roses. There are also 'Audrey Hepburn', 'Marilyn Monroe', 'Maria Callas' and 'Barbra Streisand' roses.
Men are not forgotten either: the large orange-red 'Cary Grant' rose honours the Hollywood actor, and the French rose house Meilland released 'Niccolò Paganini' and 'Philippe Noiret'. The 'Mozart' rose was bred in Germany back in 1937, and this easy-going shrub with small pink flowers with a white eye still decorates gardens around the world.
Royal and presidential roses
- 'Empress Josephine' — an old Gallica rose known since at least 1815.
- 'Adélaïde d'Orléans' — an 1826 rambler named after Adélaïde d'Orléans, sister of the future King Louis-Philippe.
- 'Queen Elizabeth' — an American grandiflora from 1954, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II and one of the best-known varieties of the 20th century.
- 'Princess of Wales' — a floribunda from the British nursery Harkness, released in 1997 in honour of Princess Diana; a year later the hybrid tea 'Diana, Princess of Wales' appeared in the USA.
- 'William and Catherine' — a rose by English breeder David Austin, introduced in 2011 for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
- Nancy Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, Konrad Adenauer and Pope John Paul II also have roses named after them.
The 'Charles de Gaulle' rose (Meilland, 1974) deserves a special mention. Its large, strongly scented lilac flowers are still among the most popular "blue" roses.
Roses named after painters and poets
Breeders have a particular love for art. Meilland created a series of roses named after painters: 'Leonardo da Vinci', 'Michelangelo', 'Botticelli', 'Auguste Renoir' and 'Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec'. Delbard dedicated varieties to the Impressionists, such as 'Claude Monet' and 'Camille Pissarro'; many of them have striped or splashed petals that look as if painted with a brush.
One of the best-loved garden roses is the climber 'Pierre de Ronsard' (1987), named after the 16th-century French poet. Its heavy cream-and-pink flowers resemble old-fashioned roses.
How to find a named rose
- Search by the original variety name: translated names vary, and many roses also have a breeder's code name.
- Most named roses are garden varieties sold as plants. Florists use cut-flower varieties in bouquets, but a similar colour and flower shape can be chosen.
- To give roses with a story, choose spray roses or classic roses and add a card telling the story of the variety.
More named roses: stars, writers and gardeners
- 'Louis de Funès' — a vivid, fragrant orange Meilland rose; legend has it that its colour and character reminded the breeders of the famous comedian.
- 'Catherine Deneuve' is a delicately scented coral-pink rose, 'Elizabeth Taylor' a deep pink hybrid tea and 'Gina Lollobrigida' a large golden yellow.
- 'The McCartney Rose' is a fragrant pink rose dedicated to Paul McCartney, and Freddie Mercury's fans secured a rose in his honour.
- Writers: besides 'Pierre de Ronsard', there are roses named 'Victor Hugo', 'Alphonse Daudet', 'Guy de Maupassant' and 'Astrid Lindgren', after the author of "Karlsson-on-the-Roof".
- 'Augusta Luise' by Tantau was introduced for Goethe's 250th anniversary and named after Countess Auguste Luise zu Stolberg, who corresponded with the poet for years but never met him.
- Gardeners and rosarians: David Austin's English roses 'Gertrude Jekyll' and 'Graham Thomas' honour the famous garden designer and the champion of old roses, while 'Abraham Darby' is named after a pioneer of the Industrial Revolution. Lord Penzance named his sweet briar hybrids after characters from Walter Scott's novels.
- 'Julia Child' — a butter-yellow floribunda named after the American cook, who chose the rose herself.
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FAQ
How many rose varieties are there?
Tens of thousands of varieties are registered, and new ones appear every year.
Which rose is named after Princess Diana?
The floribunda 'Princess of Wales' (1997) and the hybrid tea 'Diana, Princess of Wales' (1998).
A bouquet of roses with delivery in Kyiv can be ordered from UFL.
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Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
