Origin
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The Gallica roses are native to central and southern Europe. These roses have naturally evolved over
centuries into the plants we now know. Some of these roses date back to before written word and our
first reading of them was by the Greeks and Romans. Although they are very old, this family of roses
was of the first to be developed by breeders early in the 1800's.
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It is said in Graham Thomas's book "Old Roses" that as early as 1629 an English botanist named John
Parkinson had listed twelve varieties known to them at that time. It is well known that by the 1800
there was well over 1000 varieties of Gallica roses in catalogues across Europe and Asia.
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As with most of the old roses that bloom only once, the Gallicas fell to the
wayside in gardens as most people wanted the repeat flowering Hyb. Tea type
roses such as the Hyb. Perpetual and thus the old once blooming varieties slipped
into abilvion with the majority never to to grown or found again.
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The complex crossing of all known roses in the early 1800's let to all diverent kinds of blooms amidst
the family of Gallica roses. Blooms range from single petaled species to very double forms within the
same family. Their growth habit is still mostly fairly short (3'-4') tall and they all sucker out making
the bush much wider than talll.
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All are relatively winter hardy to zone 4. Their foliage is of a medium,grey/green
colour and the leaves are of a coarse texture. Some can be prone to blackspot
and mildew if the conditions are right but as most of the old roses do, they can be
left alone and the plant will go on about it's business and survive quite nicely.
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