"Martha Gonzales" is a "found" red China rose with delicate dark gray-green foliage and bright red single flowers. It forms a compact bush, normally up to 2 ft high, but it can grow up to 4 ft. high and 2-3 ft. wide. high. "Martha Gonzales" is in bloom most of the growing season and the bright scarlet red flowers are particularly pleasing against the uniquely colored foliage. Its foliage is a unique shade of dark gray-green, and the new growth is dark red. The flowers are small (1-1/2"), single, and they occur in great profusion. The flowers can be very bright, and during cool but mild winters the flowers turn velvety and are much larger than normal (3" to 3-1/2"). It is an excellent choice for a low hedge or mass plantings, and has become very popular with landscapes. The leaves are rather small and pointed. "Martha Gonzales" does not normally shed its foliage in the winter. "Martha Gonzales" starts blooming in mid-spring and continues to bloom profusely, off and on, until frost. "Martha Gonzales" flowers are single and small (1-1/2" in diameter) and open flat like a wild rose with fairly prominent gold stamens and a slight white eye around the stamens. White rays from the eye may extend into the center or along the edges of the petals. "Martha Gonzales" blooms are bright crimson red, and do not fade at all as the blooms age. They have white eye centers and occasional white stripes on the petals. "Martha Gonzales" has a very pleasing slight fragrance, but the fragrance dissipates rapidly in hot weather, leaving no noticeable fragrance. The hips are globular; red; 3/8 inch and are not too common, but when they appear, they are small, spherical and red. "Martha Gonzales" is rather drought tolerant and will bloom and perform satisfactorily in partial shade, although it prefers bright sun. There are no apparent disease problems. "Martha Gonzales" is easy to root and is readily propagated from cuttings. It is tolerant of poor soils, good for bedding or mass plantings, good for hedging and fence rows, requires sunny location to thrive, good for growing in pots, and good for use as a ground cover. Because "Martha Gonzales" blooms so profusely, periodic removal of spent blossoms with hedge shears is recommended to encourage continued production of flowers. (The above information is courtesy of Joe Cooper at Peaceful Habitations Rose Gardens).