Rose Stories – Harison’s Yellow

Harison’s Yellow … A Family Story – by Teresa Byington
I have always loved history and in the 1980s I read several stories of pioneer women who left the east to travel the Oregon Trail in search of adventure and a new life. As I read their journals, I found myself feeling akin to these women in so many ways, especially when their stories turned to the plants they grew. So much of my garden is cultivated for its beauty but that was a luxury many of these pioneers did not have. They looked to plants for food and medicine first and beauty and fragrance second. They wrote of herbs and flowers like dandelions, marigolds and roses. Many mentioned the old roses they took along with them in the form of cuttings they put in rain barrels, teacups and even in potatoes to keep them alive during the long journey. Knowing of their limited space in a covered wagon attests to the importance of the plants they “stowed away.”

The rose stories of the pioneer women and the memory of the fragrance of my great-grandmother’s roses started my journey into the world of Old Garden Roses. Without the internet to guide me, I searched for information in magazines like The Herb Quarterly where I learned of herb festivals and of companies like Heirloom Roses and Roses of Yesterday and Today. I subscribed to several rose newsletters like Bev Dobsonʼs Rose Letter and Heritage Roses by Jan Wilson and became a member of the American Rose Society. I found that herb festivals (they were common at the time) were a great place to learn about old roses. My first Old Garden Roses were Madam Hardy, Rosa Mundi and The Queen of Bourbons (Bourbon Queen) — roses steeped in beauty, fragrance and history.

The Beginning
Like many rose gardeners, I am enchanted with the stories that surround the roses I grow. Where did they come from? Who grew them before me? What’s the story behind their name? Whether it’s an Old Garden Rose or a modern Hybrid Tea or shrub, I want to know as much as I can about the history of the rose.

It was during this time that our relationship with Harisonʼs Yellow began. While visiting friends in Tennessee, my husband remarked that he liked a rose that was growing in their garden. They proceeded to tell him that they did not know the name of the rose and it had been passed to them from an elderly family member in Ohio. They gave us cuttings from the rose bush and wrapped them in newspaper and off we went back to Indiana.

Not knowing the best way to get this rose growing, we turned to a family expert – Mr. Gʼs grandmother. She was in her 80ʼs at that time but was known for her love and knowledge of gardening. I am so sorry that I did not meet her until little of her garden was left but I love to hear the stories! One of my treasures is a picture of her in her garden.

We asked her what to do with our cuttings. She told us to take a small piece of the cutting and cut an X in the end of the stem, dip in root tone, plant in a small pot and cover the pot with a ball jar. Watch it closely and keep moist but not wet. And wait. And wait. Our patience paid off and each year our your tiny plant grew bigger and stronger.

A little research revealed that our rose was in fact the Harisonʼs Yellow Rose — a chance seedling by George Folliott Harison, a NYC attorney, who created this rose in his Manhattan garden in the 1830s.

This deep yellow rose is a cultivar of Rosa Foetida. Foetida is Latin for “having a bad smell,” but I can assure you that Harisonʼs Yellow does not have a bad smell. In fact, to me it smells like honey in the afternoon sun.

The nurseryman, William Prince of Long Island, took cuttings from Mr. Harisonʼs rose and marketed the rose in the mid 1830s making it available to many.

Harisonʼs Yellow is also known as the Yellow Rose of Texas and the Oregon Trail Rose. The fact that Harisonʼs Yellow can be found growing all along the Oregon Trail is a true testament to the pioneer spirit. Could it be that this special yellow rose found its way there with some of the pioneer women I read about? Harisonʼs Yellow is not only a special feature in our garden, but has worked its way into our hearts as well.

Mr. Harison – A Gentleman
Harisonʼs Yellow is always one of the first roses to bloom in our garden. As a long Midwest winter comes to an end, we are eager to count down the days until we see the bright yellow blooms.

A few years ago my daughter and I toured the lovely courtyard garden at the Church of the Intercession in New York City where many lovely old roses grow. Behind the church is an cemetery steeped in history. Great rose friend, Stephan Scanneillo, President of the Heritage Rose Foundation, knew of my love for the Harisonʼs Yellow rose and guided us to this lovely cemetery for a special surprise. We passed by beautiful grave stones, many with names we were familiar with like John James Audubon, John Jacob Astor, James Monroe and others. Winding through lovely iron fences and gates, we came to a very special stone–that of Mr. George Folliott Harison. As I stood in front of his gravestone, I felt as though I was visiting a member of my family and we shared a bond. The gravestone said, “Mr. Harison was a gentlemen”. I love knowing that.

Spring Show
If you are considering adding this lovely rose to your garden, know that it is hardy in Zones 3 – 9 and is very drought tolerant. He is a vigorous grower, reaching about 9ʼ high and 5ʼ wide in our garden. Harisonʼs Yellow is an early spring, once-blooming rose but don’t let that discourage you from inviting Harisonʼs Yellow into your garden — because when it blooms … it is spectacular!

A few years ago Harison’s needed to be moved as we were making updates to the garden. In the new location for some reason the critters started a full on attack eventually actually digging it out of the ground. All our attempts to save it from the nighttime marauders proved in vane and we had to say goodbye.

We immediately started to look for a replacement and found one at High Country Roses. Our new Harison’s is climbing up and over the fence around our deck and continues to be a glorious beacon of spring. If you love history and roses perhaps you too need a Harison’s Yellow or a least one or two Old Garden Roses steeped in history, charm and beauty to grace your garden and be a beacon of spring! Matt can help you with that. High Country Roses has a vast collection of Old Garden Roses. Take a look here.

Teresa Byington
TheGardenDiary.com
RoseChatPodcast.com