The largest living rose is in Tombstone, Arizona. When it is in bloom it has over 200,000 blossoms, and is supported by an arbour under which people can sit. It is a white Rosa banksiae.
The bush was planted in 1885, back when Tombstone was a boomtown for silver mining. The tree officially covers 9,000 square feet, and its gnarled trunk is about 12 feet around. The whole thing is so big that its branches have to be supported on a massive trellis, which spreads out horizontally.
The longest living rose is believed to be over a thousand years old and grows on the wall of Hildesheim in Germany. Its presence has been documented since 815 A.D. It is a wild dog rose, or Rosa canina.
She’s 69 feet tall and 30 feet wide and it’s believed that she was established by King Louis the Pious back in 815.
The cathedral was hit by Allied bombers during World War 2, and although the building was completely destroyed, the roots of the rosebush somehow survived and she blossomed among the ruins again.
Unfortunately I couldn’t find a video with an English transcript. But this is worth looking at just to see this remarkable rose.
Here’s some interesting rose trivia to further whet your appetite –
One rose hip contains as many as 40 to 50 seeds.
Rose hips contain more Vitamin C than oranges. The farther north of the equator a rose hip is grown, the richer it is said to be in Vitamin C. Rugosa rose hips are said to be the best source of Vitamin C.
The oldest fossilized imprint of a rose was found in Florissant, Colorado, and is estimated to be 35 million years old.
Buds of the smallest roses are the size of a grain of rice.
The rose was chosen as herb of the year for 2012.
Attar of roses takes 82 kg of roses—about 60,000 flowers—to make 28 ml of rose oil.
Roses look and smell beautiful. They are the accepted universal symbol of romance and love. AND they can be used in food and skin care. You too can be like Cleopatra.
Raili Tanska
soulgifts - Telling Tales 
My goodness….and I struggle to keep mine alive..
Yeah, incredible, aren’t they!
I didn’t know roses are herbs.
That one surprised me too!
wow that is huge!
I adore roses and was so glad to learn more about them. Thank you. I think it’s interesting that bugs have to climb up a stem filled with thorns just to see a rose’s petals. It requires work to see their exceptional beauty.
I adore roses and was so glad to learn more about them. Thank you. That giant rose bush blows my mind.
It is, isn’t it!!
Wow, that’s so amazing ❤️
Sounds very cool!
Edible. Rose petal jam is very easy to make. And delicious. I like making pot pours too. Lovely post. Thank you.
I’ve made it too. And rose water which is such a good facial toner
That should be pourri. Predictive text is a blessing and a curse.
You’re so right about predictive text, Elizabeth. So funny sometimes 🙂
This is fascinating I had no idea of any of this but I do have four rose bushes. Thank you I love your information tales so much
I love the fact that one of them is located in Tombstone 🙂 I have got about 20 rose bushes at home – we keep adding to them! They seem to be the one plant that really thrives in our garden!
That’s because you have a magical garden. I really loved this post R
Faeiries live there 🙂 Thank you xx
I knew it!