The Memorial rose (Rosa wichuraiana) is a lovely, fragrant sprawling or rambling plant with clusters of single flowers. It is not, however, associated with the US Memorial Day as many people think.
Discovered in China in 1860, R. wichuraiana’s ability to thrive without care and cover ground so thickly that weeds couldn’t grow through it made it popular for use in cemeteries. Back before cemeteries were maintained by riding lawn mowers, relatives of the deceased tended the graves and a plant like the Memorial rose simplified that task. While it has only a single blooming cycle, its dark green foliage – nearly evergreen in some climates- makes it a handsome plant and the dark red rose hips are attractive in fall, both to humans and to birds. Hardy to zone 3, R. wichuraiana has naturalized itself in many states in the east. I’ve found it growing on old farms here, too.
It makes an excellent ground cover, covering 20’ if happy. Planted on an embankment, it will cover the slope quickly. But as beautiful as it is as a ground cover, it is at its most spectacular when grown up a tree and allowed to hang back down. Its pliable stems make it an ideal rose for this use. To do this, plant the rose a foot or so from the base of an established tree. Tie the canes to the trunk of the tree, and when they reach the limbs, tie them horizontally to them as you would to a trellis. As they extend past the ties, they’ll start to hang down and at bloom time you’ll have a fabulous ‘weeping rose tree’. The effect is even better if the tree is next to water that can reflect it, but few of us happen to have a pond handy for that!
Remember that as a once blooming rose, it will only bloom on wood that is at least one year old. Except for taking out dead or damaged wood, do your pruning right after its yearly bloom, not in the spring. Once blooming roses do not need to be fertilized as heavily as repeat bloomers, but they still need some food. The Memorial rose is rarely troubled by disease in our climate.
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