Mermaid Rose

The Mermaid rose is a white antique that has a brought on a love/hate relationship with many gardeners!

Some history….

I've seen release dates of 1917 or 1918 for this one. It was first released by W. Paul and won the RNRS Gold Medal. It is known as a Hybrid Bracteata as well. I haven't found the backstory on why it is called "Mermaid". Maybe a reader out there knows?

Beauty

I think this is a white colored flower, others say it has faint yellow to it. This rose works great as a border if you really need something secure. Or, add it to your fence as an extra level of "barbed wire". This plant has some big thorns and will grow and bloom very quick. Its best away from walkways as the thorns can definitely catch you! It has a very nice fragrance as well. Its an ideal choice to cover an old shed or outdoor building that has lost its luster, as shown below. These will certainly brighten it up!

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Gardening

With its thorniness and tendency to grow some may call the Mermaid rose somewhat invasive. I think that's a strong word, but the fact is thorns and wild growth make pruning a chore with this. Keep that in mind. Its another reason why this is a plant better suited to the garden veterans. Or an area or space that does not get a lot of traffic and doesn't need to have top-notch pruning.

Its also only rated for zones 7-10 so really, just the warmer climates. Some growers have said that it needs extra water, although this hasn't been universally confirmed.