'Old Blush' China Rose (Rosa chinensis cv.)

Deciduous, flowering shrub

Double, silvery-pink, fragrant flowers with a deeper flush; repeat blooms from late spring through fall

'Old Blush', a centuries-old cultivar from China, was first introduced to America in 1752, and re-introduced in 1793. It was one of the first of the re-blooming roses in America, and was consequently very popular in the early nineteenth century. Considered one of the most garden-worthy of the old Chinas, this important cultivar provided part of the parentage for rose hybrids to come, including the Noisette class. 'Old Blush', known also as 'Parson's Pink China' and Monthly Rose, is a very satisfactory, low-maintenance rose with handsome foliage and nearly thornless, arching stems.