Does it repeat-bloom at all? If not, it may very well be a Gallica, or one of the several types of once-blooming Gallica-like hybrids. There's something familiar about the rose, but I can't put my finger on it. Could you share some more info, such as bloom time, scent, if the pics accurately represent color, the name of the nursery where you bought it, etc?

:-)

~Christopher

Really? 'De Rescht' seems like a type that would sucker. Many own root roses do.

Hi Christopher,

From what I recall, it is not really a repeat bloomer, but if there is not too much rain, the bloom time lasts for several weeks. It blooms in early June and the flowers are fragrant. (My sense of smell is not great because of allergies, but I have been told that the scent is strong and lovely). The color in the photos is pretty accurate - if anything, in person it is a richer magenta hue. As for the nursery, Wayside Gardens comes to mind. I have had the plant for close to 20 years, before many of the larger nurseries were bought out. I don't think I bought it from a specialty or smaller grower. Also, the rose "patch" was attacked by voles (roots) a few years ago; they seemed to prefer this particular rose above the others in the garden. It took two seasons to produce blooms again, but it is now back and as beautiful as ever.

Thanks for any information you can provide!!

My RdR is not suckering yet in two years. Your rose is a beauty.

Gallicas - like Rose de Rescht - are well known to sucker. With a single bloom period and strong fragrance (?), RdR seems like a safe bet.

RdR is a Portland.

Yes 'De Rescht' is a remontant Portland rose with more prim flowers than this one, which

are pale crimson, but slightly more purple in cool weather, with a lot of neatly arranged little petals....sometimes...have a button eye....

and

....come in tight clusters of 3-7 on short stems...surrounded by a ruff of leaves

--Charles & Brigid Quest-Ritson (2003, American Rose Society Encyclopedia of Roses, DK Publishing, New York)

And in my experience is susceptible to rust (I call it 'De Rust').

Rose de Rescht does indeed begin to sucker from the roots after a few years once it becomes established, and does so with vigor. It's not as bad as a gallica or a rugosa, but it definitely tries to form a colony.

The pictures you show are of roses with relatively long stems. RdR tends to have leaves right up close to the rose, not that long empty stem, as far as I recall. I no longer grow it, though formerly it was a favorite of mine.

Also, mine rusted noticeably in the fall. That may be climate-specific though. This is a low blackspot area, but a high PM and rust location.

No rust here for RdR. She is a beauty.

Some people have said that 'Rose de Rescht' suckers a little, others say it never does. So either there are two versions going around, or perhaps suckering varies. I got mine from Heirloom Roses, and while it hasn't really suckered like a Gallica, it did send up two new canes within 12" of the center, but a few inches from the closest cane.

In any case, I don't think your rose is 'Rose de Rescht', even if it was a rebloomer. Mine -- and all those I've seen in pics -- has different foliage. Yours looks like something along the lines of a Hybrid Gallica, which means it could have Centifolia or something else in it. Judging by how it has appeared to spread through that area, I'd say that we'd need some of our Gallica experts to weigh in.

:-)

~Christopher

The first thing to find out when making growth behavior comparisons is if people are talking about grafted or own root plants.

Mine is own root from RVR. No suckers yet.

Thanks for all of the helpful information. I believe that plant labeled RdR that I bought 20 years ago was grafted, but the plant above the graft either rooted itself at some point... or could there have been a seedling that eventually took over? I do not remember the stems being as long on the original plant.

My own root RdR began suckering and spreading after about 5 years. It's not Charles de Mills, but I have to shovel prune a number of sprouts every year to keep it in bounds. A grafted RdR would likely not spread if planted high enough. If planted where the graft is below soil (or if the soil level rose over the years through mulching and such), RdR would sucker. Canes can get a bit floppy and taller than 3-4 feet if not pruned back. In my experience, RdR reblooms in small flushes after the big late spring/early summer flush. Mine likes a trim and tidy after the initial big bloom and rewards me with more flowers and flushes. To my nose, RdR smells like a Damask, lovely old rose. I LOVE this rose! Carol

Hi Portlandmysteryrose, Now that you mentioned it, this could be Charles de Mills! I had one of those as well, planted next to the RdR..It is possible that I confused the two! I just found this link http://hedgerowrose.com/rose-gardening/2015/01/12/charles-de-mills-gallica-rose/ and it looks JUST like my rose.

Well, that may solve your mystery -- I kept thinking that your rose reminded me of my 'Charles de Mills', except that the color seemed off. That may just be an effect of your camera. If the pics in your link look just like yours -- and you planted one nearby -- I think that's what you've got in the pics at the beginning of this thread.

:-)

~Christopher

Christopher and Carol, this seems to be the most logical answer. And after all these years of assuming that it's a rampant RdR. Lesson learned! :-) Thanks for everyone's help, Great forum!