A Rose by Any Other Name …
June 26th, 2009
… Might Not Attract as Much Attention!
June is Rose month and before its over, I thought I’d write about how many roses get their name.
Famous people have been the inspiration for naming beautiful roses for almost as long as the rose has been around. In fact, the naming of rose hybrids in honor of loved ones, ex-presidents such as John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, First Ladies like Barbara Bush, royalty such as Queen Elizabeth and Princess of Monaco or religious leaders like St. Patrick, Cardinal de Richelieu, and Billy Graham are just a few of the thousands of “celebrities” who’s names were given to roses of all shapes, sizes and varieties.
One might think naming a rose after a famous person is a badge of honor however according to the Rose Hybridizers Association its more about name recognition. The more recognizable the name, the easier the rose is to market
“The rose is the queen of flowers. It’s the most beloved garden plant. What better way to immortalize our stars… says Tom Carruth, the legendary hybridizer and creator of the Julia Child, Betty Boop, and George Burns roses.
GOOD CAN COME OUT OF THE NAMING OF A ROSE as evidenced by the sales of the Diana, Princess of Wales hybrid. In fact 15% of net sales has been donated to her Memorial Fund, as an ongoing effort to support the causes she devoted herself to.
I wonder why kind of rose they will name after Michael Jackson (rest in peace)? My guess is it will be something disarming, bright, showy and a little quirky.
Here are pictures of some famous roses:
Whoopi (for Whoopi Goldberg)
Chris Evert Rose
Dusty Springfield Rose
Freddy Mercury Rose
Other famous roses include:
Anne Boleyn
Betty Boop
Charles De Gaule
Christian Dior
Julia Child,
Leonardo da Vinci,
Michelangelo
Crown Princess Margareta
David Whitfield
DUCHESS OF CORNWALL
Florence Nightingale
Ingrid Bergman
Judy Garland
Picasso
Princess Alexandra
Queen Elizabeth
Queen Mother
Rob Roy
Robert Burns
Sir Walter Raleigh
Tina Turner
Videl Sassoon
Maria Shriver
Agatha Christie
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Bush
Bing Crosby
George Burns
Marilyn Monroe
Rosie O’donnell
Santa Claus l
Barbara Mandrell
Dolly Parton
The McCartney
To see the images of these roses and others visit: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/511637400pyTfiM
JUST FOR FUN: Try your hand at the celebrity roses quiz here:
Entry Filed under: Floral Tips & Trends,History of Flowers,Just for Fun
5 Comments Add your own
1. Beverly Mahone | June 27th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Interesting post. I never gave much thought to roses being named after celebrities but I do remember a Rose being named after Princess Diana. By the way, I really like that Chris Evert Rose. Do you think we’ll see a Heidi Richards rose someday?
Beverly Mahone’s last blog post..Top Ten Things Only Boomer Women Understand
2. Karen O'Bannon | June 27th, 2009 at 10:09 am
I have never heard of a rose being named after someone. How interesting. By the way, I flunked that test miserably (lol).
Karen O’Bannon’s last blog post..The Importance of Practice
3. rosie | June 27th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
I just learned soooo much from this post. I am now convinced that I am going to start naming roses after folks I KNOW KNOW, even if they are not famous. Will that dilute the tradition? Don’t know but I think each and every baby boomer that reads this should take a picture of a fav rose and send it to this post as a comment with their name attached.
I know just the rose, I saw it the other day. We could even send it via mail to folks as a gift, what an honor for that person.
Of course some folks may send a pic of a daffodil for some folks… any way sorry for the short rant. This really engaged me.
Thanks so much
rosie’s last blog post..What Makes You Stand Out As a Baby Boomer?
4. Debra Stokes | June 28th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Very interesting information. I have known about roses being named after celebrities, but never knew much about the process. I think the Chris Evert is my favorite, too. As for a rose named after Michael Jackson??? Maybe an orchid would be more appropriate – quite beautiful, but sadly fragile. (I got 50% of the answers right – LOL)
Debra Stokes’s last blog post..Cool Things to Know About Radiation Therapy
5. admin | July 3rd, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Rosie,
What a fantastic idea! We must tell Bevely. Every Diva could have her own rose…. There are thousands of varieties so it wouldn’t be too difficult.
I’m game!
thanks for stopping by,
Heidi
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