Rose Discovery - What type of rose is this?

Ian Stewart: Zone 6 Western Kentucky, USA

9 months ago

Hi everyone! My name is Ian Stewart, discover of the Elysian rose. (As seen in pictures)
It's been well over a year since I inherited this rose but am confused about it's ancestry.
First up, in 2024 my great grandmother passed away and my grandmother gave my mom her house. I immediately noticed the rose on the property, it's been here since 1937 and been in my family for much longer.
I took care of it and it bloomed in April-May. (Keep in mind I had never grown roses before. This rose got me addicted. So now I own dozens) When it bloomed it was the most magical thing I ever saw...the fragrance was a solid 9/10, intensely sweet/floral. Blooms are small and come in single/small clusters.
It's relatively small too, only 3'5"-4'5" maximum. It is extremely thorny but old growth is thornless.
Any ideas on what class of rose this is?
I guessed at Centiflolia×Alba but I'm thinking I'm wrong..
If you need more information check out my website, "The Elysian rose by Ian Stewart"
Thank you,

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Comments (4)

WildWhiteRose
9 months ago
My first impression is the Damask rose Bella Donna: the sawn-off shape of the buds, the open flower form/size, the glandular peduncle, and the leaves are similarly rugose/wrinkled as well. Bella Donna dates back to the 1840s so it is quite old.

With that said, many of the Old European roses are pretty closely related, and the botanical details are scrutinized for subtle characteristics to differentiate them, so I could easily be off mark.

I visited the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden in May to take a few photos of the Bella Donna rose there. This was late in May so many of the flowers had faded. There are better closeup photos on HelpMeFind roses. Hope this helps.
Ian Stewart: Zone 6 Western Kentucky, USA
Original Author
9 months ago
Wow thank you @WildWhiteRose!

Maybe I didn't "discover" a rose afterall!

Glad you were able to help me.

With gratitude, thank you soo much
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Rosylady (PNW zone 8)
9 months ago
What a wonderful story about your great grandmother's home and the romantic rose growing there. That's so great that it got you interested in growing roses. It sure is a pretty rose!

It reminds me of an old rose called 'Le Ville de Bruxelles'. Have you ever used the website helpmefind.com? You can do a lot of research there. You can look at pictures of 'La Ville de Bruxelles' and see how similar it is to your rose.
Ian Stewart: Zone 6 Western Kentucky, USA
Original Author
9 months ago
@Rosylady Thanks for the comment! 'Le Ville de Bruxelles' looks extremely similar! However the opening bud stage is far different from the Elysian here. The closest so far to matching this rose is Bella Donna damask, and even it is missing the blue foliage. I've searched with HelpMeFindRoses (one of the best websites there is 😉)

Such a mystery! But man these comments (like your's) is soo helpful. Thank you truly. Who knows? The Elysian could be a cross between Bella Donna & Le Ville de Bruxelles 🤔.

Happy for more insight!!