The Bourbon family

The origin of Bourbon roses has always triggered discussion and even today there is no consensus on how they came to be. 

I'll give you the traditional version of their origin which is still the prevalent today 

On the tropical island of Isle de Bourbon (current Réunion) the inhabitants generally enclosed their land with hedges made of two rows of roses, one row of the common China "Parson's pink China" and the other of the Red Four-Seasons rose (Quatre saisons). Monsieur Perichon, a proprietor at Saint Benoist (a village on the island) found among his young plants one very different from the others in its shoots and foliage. This induced him to plant it in his garden. It flowered the following year; and, as he anticipated, proved to be quite a new race, and differing much from the above two roses, which, at the time, were the only two roses growing on the island. Monsieur Breon arrived at Bourbon in 1817, as botanical traveller for the government of France, and curator of the Botanical and Naturalization Garden there. He propagated this rose in huge quantities  and sent plants and seeds of it in 1822 to Monsieur Jacques, gardener at the Chateau de Neuilly, near Paris. He distributed them among the rose cultivators of France. Soon after the first varieties appeared on the market. 

So that's the traditional story. Is it true? Probably yes but it's not proven history. 

Bourbons have the reblooming skills of the China parent and the hardiness and fragrance of the other parent, the Damask rose. Nearly all are big shrubs which are better as small climbers. They bloom the most abundant in late spring and once again in August or September. They are always very fragrant with big, opulent, showy flowers. They are susceptible to Blackspot. 

Hundreds were created in the 19th century but halfway the 20th century a fraction of that number survived. The past decade some French rosarians are searching for lost Bourbon roses, only known from literature. They did a remarkable job because today more than 80 Bourbons can be purchased again. Twenty years ago that was very different because you could buy maybe 20? 

The best and most beautiful Bourbons used in gardens today are Mme Isaac Pereire, Louise Odier, Reine Victoria, Souvenir de la Malmaison (shrub and climber), Zepherine Drouhin, Honorine de Brabant and Madame Lauriol de Barny. They can be purchased fairly easily. Try them and smell their astonishing fragrance!