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 Introduced: 12th century  Class: Gallica Zones: 4-9 Flowers: Dark pink; yellow stamens, semi-double Size: 3-4 feet Fragrance: Good; used in potpourri Strengths: Attractive deep pink flowers; Historic rose. Description: Apothecary's Rose, Rosa gallica officinalis, is a historic rose. Beautiful very dark pink (almost red in cooler climates) flowers are produced in early summer on a three to four foot erect shrub. Imagine a rose which might have been part of a medicinal treatment concocted in a monk's cloistered chamber, or a rose which was the symbol of a ruler's throne, or a rose used in the great perfumeries of France: Look no further than Apothecary's Rose. Brought back by Le Chansonnier from the Crusades in the thirteenth century, Apothecary's Rose was used in perfume manufacture in Provins. It was used extensively by apothecaries for medicinal purposes, and is the symbol for modern pharmacology. During the War of the Roses in the 15th Century, the White Rose of York, Rosa Alba was the emblem of the House of York. The House of Lancaster chose the Apothecary's Rose as their emblem. Fighting continued over who would be king of England until, as legend has it, the two sides found a rose in the English countryside which bore both red blooms and white blooms. The 'York and Lancaster' rose is said to be that rose, although whether this is legend or fact is difficult to know. |
