What is the Apothecary's rose?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

September 24, 2001

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Most cultures of the Northern Hemisphere hold a special reverence for roses (Rosa spp.). They have been handed down through generations and are probably the longest continually cultivated flower in the world. It is believed that the Persians and Chinese were the first rose gardeners and that emperors themselves tended their shrubs. Persian roses were said to have been planted in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Roses have been used in cuisine, medicine, and worship.

It is probable that Alexander the Great brought the Apothecary's rose to Greece from Persia.
Rosa Gallica Var Officinalis (Pink Gallica Rose)
Photographic Print by Mark Bolton
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It is probable that Alexander the Great brought the Apothecary's rose to Greece from Persia. In Greece, honey of roses was used to treat open wounds. Rose water was used by Cleopatra for her daily bathing. Rose petals were used as seasoning and were candied for Roman banquets. Rose cuisine and rose water became the fad of the wealthy of Rome, so much so, that orchards and vineyards were destroyed to make room for the rose industry.

In The Herbal, Gerard (1633) dedicates 13 pages to the descriptions and medicinal uses of the roses known in Europe. He writes of the virtues of the Apothecary's rose, "The distilled water of roses is good for the strengthening of the heart, and refreshing of the spirits, and likewise for all things that require a gentle cooling. The same being put into junketting (desserts made with sweetened milk) dishes, cakes, sauces, and many other pleasant things, giveth a fine and delectable taste."

Rose hips are naturally high in Vitamin C and scurvy was prevalent disease in Europe prior to the 16th Century. Yet Gerard does not mention the use of rose hips in a medicinal sense, rather he states of wild eglantine roses, "The fruit when it is ripe maketh most pleasant meats and banqueting dishes, as tarts and such like; the making whereof I commit to the cunning cook, and teeth to eat them in the rich man's mouth."

A WOODLAND ROSE GARDEN has excellent photographs of the Apothecary's rose (Rosa gallica officinalis). To view the photographs, click on the link:

http://woodlandrosegarden.com/latest_photos/latest_photos.htm

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