Gracin, I haven't seen the Thomasville Lamarque, but this is an historic Lamarque from here in Southern California. The Atmore family brought it from Placerville via covered wagon in either 1859 or 1869 (not remembering which at the moment) and planted it at their home in Santa Paula, CA where it still grows. I've looked for other photos I've taken of it, but they're hiding. Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Atmore Lamarque

Kim,
It's gorgeous, too, isn't it? It is so cool to learn a little history on these roses. Suddenly, they become more desirable.
Gracin

It was 1869.

The three Atmore brothers came to CA for the gold -- but they prospered doing things like freight-hauling and even running a hotel in Placerville.

In 1869, they came to Ventura County. One settled in Ojai, one in Santa Paula, and one in Camarillo. The brother who settled in Santa Paula built a lovely "Queen Anne" home, and planted there the rose, which he had brought from Placerville.

His descendants still own the home, and the rose still grows there.

Yes, roses played a great role in the history of California. That's one part of why I love them.

Jeri

Oh, goodie! I have been wanting someone to look at an old rose in my garden - it was not really in my garden at all, but was climbing over our fence from a very old house next door. It blooms in the Spring only, but quite early. It bloomed happily in the shade of our giant eugenia tree. Eventually the old plant next door was killed by the owners piling firewood on top of it, and I noticed it dying at the last moment, and managed to get one tiny still green piece of cane and root it. It took it a long time to start putting up a climbing cane, but it did finally. Cass has seen it and thought it might be Lamarque. Here is a picture I took last Spring - it looks like Kim's picture of Atmore Lamarque to me - what do you think?

Jackie

Here is another picture of my might-be-Lamarque, showing a half open bud and some smaller buds & leaves.

Jackie

Jackie, Lamarque here flowers like a floribunda. It's been a relatively mild winter, and it's had flowers on it almost the entire time. As long as I water it, the thing flowers. Yours looks like it, and with your rain amounts, I'd expect it to flower pretty much year round. Spring flowering only sounds more than a bit suspicious.

What you might do to check this is to propagate one and grow it with regular irrigation. If it continues flowering only in spring, something is amiss. If it begins repeating, I'd say you have a Lamarque. Kim

Kim - thanks so much. Both the old plant and my new one are growing in pretty deep shade under a large dense tree (the old one grew 15-20 feet up into the tree before it died, and I am trying to make the new one do that too.). However, stupid me had never looked up Lamarque to realize that it is a repeat bloomer. Perhaps mine only bloom in the Spring because of the deep shade? Is that possible?

Anyway, I will try to root another cutting, and put it in full sun and see what it does. Thanks for the heads-up!

Jackie

Not "stupid", Jackie, you just weren't aware. The thing throws itself through the trees into the sun where it flowers. Obviously, the plant received sufficient sun to remain alive or it wouldn't still be there. The issue with mine is it receives sun ALL the time and that inhibits it from climbing. It doesn't HAVE to and probably doesn't because it utilizes all the resources it has to flower. If I disbudded it, I'm sure it would climb a LOT faster, but I want those flowers so I can use their pollen.

Are the trees it grows through deciduous? If they are, then it would receive more sun in winter through early summer when the tree foliage mass would increase. If the shade doesn't dramatically increase, I would think there would be enough to promote flowering. Then, I think it would be the water issue. But, your climate receives tremendously greater water than we do here. In the past two to three years, probably up to seven or eight times more, though "normal" is supposed to be about double. I'd imagine your ground water is also much greater than it is here, which is why I would expect things to grow larger and remain alive longer without your intervention. But, I would still expect repeat from Lamarque. Good luck! Kim

Here is a picture of the exact tree it is under - it is rooted about 3 feet away from the trunk. The tree is NOT deciduous - it is a tropical tree called eugenia (bush cherry), which is evergreen, and has a very dense canopy of small leaves - it makes very dense shade 12 months of the year. In the Spring the rose does get a little bit of direct sun in the mornings, because of where the sun is in the sky. So, I am hoping it is the shade that is stopping the rose from repeating.

It is not lack of water, because most of our garden, including this rose, is irrigated during our 6 month drought every Summer.

Jackie

You're right tho, Jackie -- that DOES look like Lamarque.

Are you coming to the Sacramento City Cemetery on April 20?
If so, could you bring some samples? If it's not in bloom, maybe leaves??? Then, we could do some comparisons.

(The Cemetery has Lamarque at 437 NE and at 441 SW.)

Jeri

Jeri - yes, I am coming, and yes I will bring samples of whatever it is doing then. It has one bloom open on it right now - I just noticed it.

Jackie

They are both beauties! How to choose?! I do like the yellow stamens though.

jackie, I love the foliage on your Lamarque' it appears quite different from the Lamarque which I received from A.R.E. and I wish mine had leaves like your plant. To me the beauty of a rosebush is half due to the foliage, or should be, for the leaves are visible all through the growing season.

Lux.

Beautiful, Jackie. Congratulations! Just more proof that roses WANT to live. Kim

Love your roses. Beautiful photos!

It's interesting . . . This is the 'Lamarque' that ARE used to offer.
Kim -- my plant, finally in the ground, is taking hold now, and beginning to bloom again. I can give you back cuttings in a couple of months, or hope I can get Clay to propagate.