'Grüss an
Aachen'. early Floribunda
rüss an Aachen was one of the first
roses I bought mail order primarily because of the claim that here was a rose
that would bloom in partial shade. The American Rose Society lists 'Grüss
an Aachen' as one of only five roses specifically mentioned as tolerant of
shade at: Frequently
Asked Questions about Roses The only other source that claimed this rose
was shade-tolerant was Wayside Gardens. The Antique Rose Emporium is the source
of this rose in my garden. And being own root, and being by nature not a
vigorous grower, it was very slow to develope to a sizeable shrub. It has grown
no more than 2.5 feet in height, and about as wide, and seldom needs pruning
except to deadhead and remove the little winter dieback in the spring. Quite a
hardy little rose, it never gets any winter protection from me, yet is exposed
directly to the cold west winds of winter. The blooms start as clear pink, and
then do fade rather quickly to white. They don't last long in a vase, the scent
is pleasing, but mild, and no hips are produced. As far as being shade
tolerant, I'm not so sure anymore. My plant gets about half day sun, and
produces a moderate crop of blooms from mid-May till the first hard frost.
'Grüss an Aachen' does suffer a bit from blackspot, and can appear a bit
bare-of-leaf in mid August. It also is a favorite food of the rose slug,
(sawfly larvae), which were particluarly nasty this summer. I suppose because
it was a very mild and wet summer: only 3 or 4 days above 90 degree F and
enough rain to keep the grass bright green all summer.
kbk 2000 November
10
"Strange that such a little Rose should live on for well-nigh half a century, calmly putting forth its leaf and bloom summer after summer, whilst so many of the men and women who knew it once have passed away. It somehow makes me think of the old monk, pointing to the frescoes of his convent walls and saying, These are realities, we are the shadows."
E.O Boyle
Diary
"Introduced in 1908, and still grown by a few people, this agreeable little rose has smaller flowers that we expect in a Floribunda. The colour is pale and changeable, light pink soon going towards white. It was raised by Philipp Geduldig of Kohlscheid bei Aachen in Germany. The parents are said to be 'Frau Karl Druschki' x 'Franz Deeden', at first sight an unlikely story. We all know 'Frau Karl Druschki', the snow white Hybrid Perpetual; but 'Franz Deegen' is a stranger. It was a Hybrid Tea, also call 'Yellow Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria', and that parentage would suggest that 'Gruss an Aachen' was the first of many roses which on failing to turn out as Hybrid Teas, were introduced under the umbrella of the Polyantha or Floribunda classes."
Jack Harkness, 1978 in Roses
"H. Poly. We have yet to see a catalog description which does full justice to this delightful variety, in dainty flesh tones. Has the plant quality, size, petallage and lovely rounded form to compete with the finest bush roses, and combines withal, the really ever-blooming habits of the Polyanthas. Dr. McFarland some years ago called this "the most useful in its class" . . . and understatement--he should have added, among the most beautiful.
3 for $3.75 each $1.35"
catalog listing in 1952-1953 Roses of Yesterday
"We are often mislead by the pompous announcement in catalogues that such a rose won a gold medal, and, to make it still more Coney Islandish, some dealers keep on repeating the same staement year after year. It is like a milliner trying to palm off an old-fashioned hat because it once won agold medal, but omitting to say when that award was made. Gold medals and certificates at either American or European shows are not worth a whoop as far as garden roses go; the nursery dumps are piled high with gold medal roses that failed to materialize."
J. H. Nicolas, 1933, The Rose Manual
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