Feb 22 2025
Roses are one of the world’s most beloved blooms, with millions of them sold for Valentine’s Day alone. Coronated the “queen of flowers” by the ancient Greek poet Sappho, roses come in a wide range of hues, although red is the most popular shade. While we typically don’t think of them as green, Rosa × odorata 'Viridiflora' defies this notion. Also known as the green rose, it is one of the most unusual roses ever introduced. Prized in Victorian gardens for its green flowers, the verdant flower is an heirloom cultivar that began as a mutation, or a sport, of a regular looking pink rose called ‘Old Blush’ (a derivative of R. chinensis), which originated in China and was brought to Europe and the U.S. in the 1790s. The pink petals reverted to green sepals and the “flower” is composed of several rows of green bracts that take on a reddish tinge as they age.
While neither showy nor fragrant, 'Viridiflora' has glossy dark green foliage and is easy to grow – but this resilient rose is more than mere curio. American folklore suggests that it has ties to the abolitionist movement during the 19th century. According to rosarian Stephen Scanniello, Curator of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, it is said that members of the Quaker religion, who were fervently against slavery, planted them in their front yard, signifying that they were conductors of the Underground Railroad, a series of secret havens used by enslaved African Americans to escape northward to freedom. This fascinating flower is planted just inside the main gates of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden.