Margaret Bayard Smith’s account of Jefferson’s presidential apartment stated: “In the window recesses, were stands for the flowers and plants which it was his delight to attend and among his roses and geraniums was suspended the cage of his favorite mocking-bird.” Indoor roses at that time could have been varieties of the species Rosa chinensis, including Parson’s Pink or Old Blush China or Slater’s Crimson China which were in America by 1798. These are ancestors of all repeat-blooming modern garden roses.
Visit Monticello’s Online Shop to check for seeds or plants of Old Blush China Rose.
Typical Blooming Dates: May - June
Color(s): Pink
Location at Monticello: West Lawn Oval Bed
In Bloom at Monticello is made possible by support from The Richard D. and Carolyn W. Jacques Foundation.
