William Hamilton was famous for his voracious plant collecting, and was passionate about rare plants. His greenhouse at The Woodlands held over 10,000 plant specimens and was one of the most important horticultural sites in the country in the 18th century. In celebration of Valentine’s Day Weekend, we are sharing the story of how the first red roses were introduced to America by our own William Hamilton at The Woodlands.
In November, 1785 William Hamilton wrote to his private secretary in Philadelphia of the “red monthly rose” and in February, 1788 he wrote again of “the two or three cuttings of the china rose, which I planted in pots.” The rose Hamilton was referring to was known commonly as ‘Slater’s Crimson China’ and was one of the first four “stud roses” to come from China.
Before the last decades of the 18th century, the only roses with which Westerners were familiar were fragrant, pink flowered, coarse shrubs that bloomed once a year in late spring. These flowers were popular but were mostly admired for their medicinal value. The arrival of the China roses created both excitement and lust among European and American gardeners. The flowers of the China rose themselves were small and scentless, borne on twiggy, somewhat shapeless plants. What was revolutionary about these roses was the color of the flowers, which opened true red, yellow, and blush, depending on the variety.
Roses planted by a Grave Gardener in the Jayne Family Plot at The Woodlands.
Pictured here is a red China rose planted in one of two grave gardens in the Jayne Family Plot in Section D, not far from the Hamilton Mansion. Dr. David Jayne was a 19th century doctor who operated a pharmacy in Philadelphia and exported medicines worldwide. The rose planted here represents both the history and value of early roses, and the new possibilities the China Red Rose offered the gardening world.
Hamilton was one of the first-if not the very first- persons in America to acquire the China rose. There would be no red roses in your Valentine bouquet if not for the introduction of China rose, and for the accomplishments over the next two centuries of many horticultural careers devoted to its hybridization. Crossed with the old European varieties, it is the ancestor of nearly all the modern roses we love today.