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Discussion id : 173-048
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Initial post yesterday by Banshee
I'm writing this to explain why I happened to choose Banshee as my HMF ID.

This is the only rose that survived from my original 2001 rose garden. Over 30 years ago a friend and I found it in an old cellar hole in New Hampshire. I brought a cutting and flower to Mike Lowe of Lowe's Roses in Nashua. He said it had three names. The Loyalist, Banshee, and American Rose. It was brought to Canada by Scottish loyalists, therefore the name The Loyalist.

I'm quoting from an article about The Loyalist rose:

The Camerons, the MacLeods, and the Loyalist Rose
by Major George D. (Duff) Mitchell, MC, CD, UE
Legend has it that the Loyalist Rose originated in the Damascus region of today’s Syria and was brought to Britain by Crusaders in the 11th Century. Identified as “Maiden’s Blush” of the Rosa Alba family it appeared in Renaissance paintings and is described as “a cupped, very double fragrant pale pink rose fading almost to white, bushy, densely branched, blooming well in June.

Ethel (Campbell) MacLeod (1914-1978) delved into the history of their ancient rose and first garnered publicity for its Loyalist aspect in the National Geographic Magazine when its lengthy article,”The Loyalists,” featured a picture of the couple’s Loyalist rose in April 1975.She registered “The Loyalist Rose” with the International Registration Authority for Roses. She then donated it to The United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada to mark the BI-Centennial of the American Revolution and the coming of the Loyalists to Canada.

Online photos of Banshee don't look like this rose - all but one, that is. I've subsequently purchased a rose from High Country Roses that they call Banshee High Country because they say rosarians in Denver think it's something else. They didn't identify the Denver rosarian so if anyone has any info please comment. I just planted it this year, so it hasn't bloomed yet.

The HMF photo of Maiden's Blush is a much darker pink than my rose. I also just purchased and planted two roses called Maiden's Blush from Fedco Trees in Maine. It will be interesting to see how they compare.
REPLY
Reply #1 of 2 posted yesterday by Nastarana
I have two plants of "High Country Banshee". I strongly suspect, but cannot prove, that HCB is the same rose, also found in Denver, called "Graveyard Alba". GA was grown by one Cheryl Netter, who posted her spectacular photos online, though not on HMF.

I also grow "Jeremiah Pink", sourced from High Country Roses, and stated by some to be "Banshee".

Neither is the same as 'Great Maiden's Blush'. I personally consider HCB to be an alba hybrid, which grows in a rather non alba fashion. It throws out loong canes, rather like a large flowered rambler.

Contrary to what HCR states, I do not think JP is an alba. I question whether it has any canina genes in it. The foliage is different, tending to a lighter, grass green color, and the growth habit, in my zone 5 garden is yuuge. JP takes up space, far more than any alba I have seen. It is definitely a back of the border fence rose.
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Reply #2 of 2 posted today by jedmar
In the 2001 study of Found roses in Sweden and neighbouring countries, the rose known as "Banshee" or "Mustialanruusu" or Rosa suionum Almq. resp. 'Minette' was named 'Belle Cathérine' based on its commercial introduction in 1918 under that name. The DNA profile made with 6 markers established a 68% similarity with the Damasks 'Kazanlik' and 'Quatre Saisons'.
A summary of the findings is found under the listing "Mustialanruusu". We have added a short reference to "Banshee" in order to link these up.
The various photos of 'Banshee' in your post can all be found on page 181 of the abovementioned book: this rose seems to be very variable in its appearance!
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