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.

I remember reading somewhere that "Dortmund" self-seeds very easily, but that most of the seedlings resemble the mother plant. This certainly was the case for me - The "Dortmund" I grew long ago has died, but I found a seedling next to it, which I gave to a friend. (NO, it was NOT a sucker.)

At least a decade later, that seedling is growing over her rose arbor and is HUGE. I don't see any difference between what I call "Dortmund's Daughter" and her mom. I'lll have to check it more closely!