I was chatting with my friend Robin yesterday. Recently she had read a story in the news that mentioned the “McCartney Rose” and wondered if I had ever heard of it.
“Yes, I’ve heard of it” I replied, ” and I know it’s named after Paul McCartney” but that’s about all I could add to the conversation.
Then Robin stared asking other questions like: “Who names the roses?” and “When did they start naming roses?” and “Are there criteria for naming a rose?”
So for those of you who perhaps don’t know either, I did some research and here is some of what I found out.
Who names roses and could you get one named after you?
Well before you can name it, is has to be grown, and it takes about 10 years to research, develop, and introduce a new rose. There are several trial fields, and in those trial fields are tens of thousands of rose bushes growing, labeled with numbers or codes.
According to the rules set out by the registration committee of the American Rose Society, the breeder of a rose gets to name it. If it is to be named for someone in particular, the American Rose Society requires a letter of authorization from the person after whom the rose will be named.
Basically, if you can find a rose breeder, and there are lots of them, you can pay to have a rose named after you, a loved one, or in honor of a celebrity like the McCartney Rose.
The cost can vary from $7,500 to $30,000, depending on the type and quality of the rose.
If you really want to spend some cash, Jackson & Perkins will name a new rose cultivar, or a intentionally selected variety for you. The cost is $75,000.
The package includes a flight to Los Angeles and a two-night stay in a five-star hotel. You get to choose your rose from acres and acres of unnamed roses at the company’s research facility located in California.
In the spring, 300 of the custom roses will be delivered to you and your list of recipients, along with a case of Dom Perignon.
As to when this naming practice started, and what are the criteria, well, come back in a few days because that is what I will be writing about!
If you’re reading this and have more information about this whole rose naming business and would like to share, post a comment so we can all learn a bit more!
Bye for now -
This is very interesting – but out of my price range. I was really surprised to learn so many new roses are in growing fields; will they all be on the market in time?
Susan
I know that in the UK there are ways to name a rose that are less expensive ($100-200) but they only deliver to Europe. I’m surprised no one in the US has marketed the less expensive version.
Yeah, I also looked into that and it’s a shame that they can’t deliver to the U.S. I ended up buying some rose seeds to grow and name from a company, but it’s not an original culitvar unfortunately. You’re basically growing them for yourself, and you can name them and register it. But it’s just a typical Imperial Rose. Nothing special about it. That costs around $40. It’s not what I wanted, but it will have to do as I can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars.