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| The Green Rose, MR 2014 |
Tillandsias, Mesembs, orchids, herbalism, art, pensive musings, and gardening on sand dunes.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
The Mystery of the Green Rose
Yes, there is such a thing as a green rose! Its formal name is Rosa chinensis viridiflora, and it's quite a conversation starter:
I saw these beauties for the first time at our local botanical festival last weekend. They are quite amazing in that they are true roses, but without petals. The green "petals" are actually sepals. The flower is tiny, central, and slightly peppery in scent. They've been popular in China for centuries, and grown in Europe since the mid 1700s. It was fun to be a gardening Mythbuster this weekend, and this myth of the green rose is definitely true. Confirmed!
This looks really strange, never thought it existed. Looks more like leaves than flowers :)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like leaves because it's formed from sepals, not petals, kinda cool! It is a very strange rose and apparently very popular in China.
DeleteHi Marla,
ReplyDeleteMy mother had this plant and I would tell her how ugly it was. :) Actually it is ugly, but perfect for upcoming Saint Patrick's Day. I hadn't seen a photo of the green rose for a long time so it brought back memories of gardening with my mom. That was nice. Thanks.
That's a lovely, and funny, memory! It is a perfect rose for St. Patrick's Day; maybe I'll wear one, as I'm half Irish!
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