Flavors in Rose Fragrances
By: Rhea Worrell, rworrell3@nc.rr.com
ROSE ‘FLAVORS’
This is a highly subjective and inconclusive list based on reports, conversations and various written sources and is intended for information purposes only. Impressions of rose fragrance depend on soil, warmth, humidity, time of day, etc. I do not take credit for the fragrance attributions, and hope that every reader who is interested in rose fragrances will offer his or her additions, opinions and comments regarding this list.
Types of Flavors
| Musk | Found in Rosa moschata, Noisettes and Hybrid Musks |
| Mixed Fruit | Found in Chinas and Hybrid Musks |
| Apple | Found in Rosa eglanteria, Rosa wichuriana and their hybrids |
| Spice | Cloves – Rosa rugosa and its hybridsMyrrh – Floribundas and Austins
Pepper – Chinas Cinnamon – Rosa cinnamonea |
| Tea | Found in Teas, Noisettes & Hybrid Teas |
| Damask | Found in Damask & Portland roses |
| Floral | Found in species hybrids & ramblers |
| Pine, citrus, dianthus, apple, spice and herbal | Found in the moss of moss roses |
Specific Flavors
Fruit
| Mixed fruit | Abraham Darby, Sutter’s Gold, Alberic Barbier, Cornelia, Cramoisie Superieur, Old Pink Moss, Deprez a Fleurs Jaunes, Albertine |
| Apple | Apple Jack, Rosa eglanteria hybrids, Nymphenburg, Ralph’s Creeper, Queen Margarethe, Max Graf, Coquettes de Blanche, Coral Dawn, New Dawn, Rosa wichuriana hybrids |
| Cherry | Louis-Philippe |
| Orange | Granny Grimmetts, Veilchenblau, Woburn Abbey |
| Pineapple | Rosa multiflora |
| Pineapple-Banana | Buff Beauty |
| Banana | Rosa mulligani, Warwick Castle |
| Lemon | Mme Hardy, Parson’s Pink China, R. bractea [McCartney Rose], Sutter’s Gold, Heritage, Slater’s Crimson China |
| Apricot | Lady Hillingdon |
| Raspberry | Cerise Bouquet, Honorine de Brabant, Mme Isaac Perreire, Duchesse de Brabant |
| Strawberry | Chrysler Imperial, Marechal Niel |
| Peach | Chinatown, City of Gloucester |
Spice
| Lemon and Spice | Margaret Merrill |
| Fruit and Spice | Angel Face, Lavender Lassie |
| Clove | Fritz Nobis, Rosa rugosa and its hybrids, Blush Noisette |
| Musk and Clove | Blush Noisette, Marie Pavie |
| Musk | Erfurt, Rosa brunonii (Himalayan Musk Rose) and hybrids, Rosa moschata (Musk Rose) and hybrids, Felicia, Penelope, Bobbie James |
| Spice | Belle Amour, Crimson Glory, Belle Storey, Claire Rose, Henry Hudson, Jens Munk, Celestine Forestier, Rosa cinnamonea |
| Herbs and Spices | Monsieur Tillier |
| Myrrh | Belle Isis, Constance Spry, Wife of Bath, Distant Drums |
| Pepper | Old Blush |
Flower
| DianthusSafrano | |
| Narcissus or Heliotrope | Cornelia |
| Gardenia | White Dawn, Rosa laevigata (The Cherokee Rose) |
| Hyacinth | Cuisse de Nymph |
| Mignonette | Rosa arvensis |
| Sweetpea | Mme. Gregoire Staechelin (Spanish Beauty), Old Blush |
| Lily of the Valley | Rosa nitida |
| Honeysuckle | Francesca |
| Violet | Eugenie Lamesch, Rosa banksia and its hybrids, Mrs. John Laing |
Combos
| Musk and Pineapple | Trier |
| Tea and Pineapple | Daphne |
| Tea and Apple | Gardenia |
| Lemon, Tea and Apple | Sombreuil |
| Tea and Orange | Everest Double Fragrance |
| Tea | Graham Thomas, Perdita, Duke of York, Marechal Niel, Buff Beauty, Gloire de Dijon, Lady Hillingdon and many others |
| Tea and Spice | Break O’ Day |
| Honey and Tea | Alchymist |
| Honey | Gourmet Popcorn, Honeysweet |
ETC.
| Almond | Roseraie de la Hay |
| Cinnamon Toast | Sunsprite |
| Licorice or Bread | Austrian Copper, Snowbird, Golden Showers, Persian Yellow, Soleil D’Or, Harison’s Yellow, Clair Matin, Cardinal Hume, Rosa foetida |
| Pungent | Penelope, Ferdinand Pichard |
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