"Superior" depends upon many criteria and your taste. I sought Fedtschenkoana decades ago for several reasons. Ralph Moore had told me to "not stir the pot", bring something new to the table in breeding. At that time, it appeared Fedtschenkoana hadn't been used to create new roses. I figured it may be easier to work with as it is tetraploid, as most modern roses are. It "repeats", though it's not really "repeat" but a very long bloom season. I love the "ghostly" foliage and the gorgeous lavender tints to the new growth. That new growth and the "mossy" sepals and peduncles possess the most marvelous "Nobel Fir with hardwood smoke" scent which helps balance out the "Linseed Oil" scent of the flowers. I raised a number of seedlings from it with modern roses. Many of the early crosses are documented with photos on Help Me Find-Roses. Ironically, DNA work was done and it has been determined that Fedtschenkoana figured in the creation of Autumn Damask, so it's really already "in there". I do wonder if, perhaps, the "mossing" in Moss roses may have originated from Fedtschenkoana's genes as a number of the seedlings I've raised from it have expressed quite a bit of "mossing".

I was fortunate the bees did a bit of pollinating for me some years back. I'd tried raising Stellata mirifica from seed but nothing ever germinated. I'd planted Fedtschenkoana and Stellata mirifica out on the hill in back. They were the only two roses in the area. Mirifica died but had set quite a few hips containing several seeds which were much more developed than the immature ones it traditionally set. Two of them germinated and one survived. It looks precisely as I would expect a hybrid between Stellata mirifica and Fedtschenkoana to look. It's documented on Help Me Find as "Puzzlement", as it really is one. https://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.69411

I also find the Yellow Chinese species, Hugonis, Xanthina and Primula very interesting and have been pimping their pollens for some years. So far, only Hugonis has been cooperative. A number of those results are also listed on HMF. My other species fascination concerns Hesperhodos, Stellata and Minutifolia. Stellata may survive in a Zone 6 environment but Minutifolia would not. Plus, Minutifolia is only successful in a more arid environment. It can easily drown from too much winter rain as it evolved where the winter rains tend to be lighter.

If you plant Fedtschenkoana, be prepared for it to enthusiastically help itself to every available square inch of soil. Perhaps a colder climate may help inhibit its "colonization" efforts. A heavy soil definitely will, but it will still do its best to colonize everywhere. Forewarned is forearmed.

@roseseek Thank you for this wonderful information, as always.

Say I were to add R. Fedtschenkoana to my collection, it probably wouldn't be much of center point of breeding for me. Though I find it to be such a unique plant.

Whilst looking at Fedtschenkoana hybrids, the breeding & articles about it yesterday & today I actually came across your hybrid 'Puzzlement' and searched it up on HMF, quite the thing, isn't it!

"I do wonder if, perhaps, the "mossing" in Moss roses may have originated from Fedtschenkoana's genes as a number of the seedlings I've raised from it have expressed quite a bit of "mossing"." --- I find this interesting because this is a REALLY good thought..Autumn damask sported into 'Quatre Saison Blanc Mosseau', and the Centiflolia class is said to have damask in it's lineage, as well. Though my knowledge on the Centiflolia as a group is very poor.

"If you plant Fedtschenkoana, be prepared for it to enthusiastically help itself to every available square inch of soil." --- I personally like roses that sucker so this is a plus! Now if I were planting this rose for landscaping that would be a different story, but I've got PLENTY of land for whatever plants though.

I appreciate the wisdom, roseseek!

@Ian Stewart USA Zone 6 you're welcome!

Ian, I'm a fan of Fedtschenkoana, as well. But R. roxburghii plena, the Chestnut Rose, is probably my favorite species rose. The fully double form was the first one discovered, and became the "type", but the single (R. r. normalis) is probably the true species. The double has some re-bloom, but it's more like "one here and there" than a full flush, lol. The single form never has but the one flush. My double form has had as many as fifteen, maybe twenty, blooms at a time after the Spring flush, on a mature bush. But that's in a good year. But it DOES have later flowers, occasionally into the Fall. The ideal conditions are a long, cool Fall, with sufficient rain.

My original plant is at least 6' tall, a little less across. It does sucker mildly, but just enough to supply new plants. All my other plants were "oops babies", or "happy accidents", lol. I have six now.

The burr-like hips are real conversation pieces. It also has beautiful spotless, fern-like foliage, BUT it will tend to drop leaves (like a snow storm, lol) in drought conditions. Another drawback is that it can takes years for this rose to mature enough to bloom. But when it does, it's glorious.

I checked HMF, and there's not one photo listed as being post-Spring flush. I don't know why, because it definitely DOES have later blooms. But every one of the photos with an Oct-Nov-Dec date is from Australia, which of course is their Spring. If I remember (I probably won't lol) I'll post a photo the next time I catch mine with a late bloom or two.

@fig_insanity AHH! I love this rose but don't have it! Please tell me, is there any fragrance?

It was one of the few species roses I looked into for being naturally double & repeat blooming.

Regards, Ian Stewart

High Country Roses carries some species roses.

@Sheila I'll look at their selection, thank you

Ian, the fragrance of R. roxburghii plena is nothing to write home about. Sometimes there's a mild, pleasant scent, other times none at all I can detect. So I'd rate it "mild to none".

Sigh...What a shame. Fragrance is, in my opinion the essence of the rose. Perhaps Rugosa Alba is up my lane, it's said to have a wonderful fragrance

Thanks @fig_insanity