Rosa Sinica
Wild species
Rosa Laevigata is found in the wild in Southeast China and Taiwan. It is probably closely related to Rosa Gigantea.
It's a tall climber that, when given space, can climb up to 10 meters or 30 feet. The foliage is dark green and glossy. It's very healthy and evergreen. In early summer the plant is covered with large (10cm) single flowers with golden stamen. They exude a very strong fragrance.
The rose got introduced to the Southern United States and is now the State flower of Georgia. Sometimes considered as an invasive species but that's not the case. Rosa Laevigata is tender and can't survive in zones lower than 7b so it can't expand much to the north. In Europe the R. Laevigata Cooper's Burmese is a rare beauty and can be seen in the Mediterranean and in the warmer areas of Cornwall and Devon.
The name "Cherokee rose" was given because of its association with the "Trail of tears". The white petals stand for the tears the Cherokee women shed when they were forced to leave their homeland and move to the US forts. The golden stamen represent the gold the white Americans stole from them.
Beautiful rose!
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