Rose R. damascena trigintipetala

The Kazanlik Rose is a unique symbol of Bulgaria and is cultivated on an industrial scale as an essential oil crop. Its petals are used to produce rose oil in Bulgaria (historically also in Bessarabia, Crimea, and the Caucasus). Dried petals are used to make tea, while freshly picked ones are used for jam.

This fragrant and elegant rose features small (4–6 cm), semi-double (17–30 petals), bright pink flowers with a white center and golden-yellow stamens. The blooms vary from flat to cup-shaped and are arranged in small clusters of 3–10 flowers. The flowering is very abundant but occurs only once, from late spring to early summer. After blooming, the plant forms hips. The rose has an intense, rich fragrance reminiscent of old roses and rose oil, with petals often used in culinary and perfumery applications.

Plant

The bush is vigorous, branched, and well-structured, with strong, thorny, upright, or slightly arching stems, growing to a height of 150–250 cm and a width of 120–180 cm. Its small, light green, matte, wrinkled leaves are oval in shape and consist of 7 leaflets. The calyx is small and glandular, with leafy sepals on the buds. This rose blooms on old wood. Pruning is performed after flowering or during dormancy—cut summer-flowering Damask varieties, like Kazanlik, after they have finished blooming, removing one or two very old stems each year.

Winter Hardiness

This rose is hardy and grows well in USDA zones 4b–9b.

About Rosa damascena

Rosa damascena, or Damask Roses, is divided into two distinct groups: summer-flowering Damasks, like Kazanlik, and autumn-flowering Damasks. Summer Damasks bloom only once, forming large, thorny, spreading bushes with intensely fragrant pink or white flowers. Autumn Damasks and their descendants, the Portland Roses, are smaller, more compact bushes that bloom repeatedly in the fall. Their color palette includes red varieties, and they share the same deep fragrance as the summer Damasks. The beautifully fragrant summer-flowering Kazanlik Rose features airy, loose, pale pink double clusters of blooms, light green leaves, and very thorny stems. It is used for rose oil production in the Kazanlik region of Bulgaria. While it may not have significant ornamental advantages, its rich fragrance, particularly in warm climates, and its graceful bush habit make it a noteworthy rose.

The name of this rose variety ‘Kazanlak’ originates from the town in Stara Zagora Province, Bulgaria, where this rose is cultivated and rose oil is extracted.

Mentions from the "Commercial Reports Received at the Foreign Office from Her Majesty's Consuls in 1867", p. 252: "Report by Vice-Consul Blunt onKazanlak and the production of rose attar in the Vilayet of Adrianople for 1866. The district of Kazanlak is located in the province of Philippopolis and is part of the Vilayet of Adrianople..." From "Curiosities of Our Time", by John Timbs, 1868, p. 105: "The rose fields of the Vilayet of Adrianople extend over 12,000 to 14,000 acres and are by far the most important source of wealth in the district. The rose-picking season lasts from the second half of April to early June...with hundreds of Bulgarian boys and girls gathering flowers in baskets..."

The rose is also known by the name "Professeur Émile Perrot" in honor of Émile Perrot (August 14, 1867, Marcilly-sur-Seine – September 16, 1951, Paris), a pharmacist, botanist, mycologist, and professor at the École Supérieure de Pharmacie in Paris. He brought the rose from Persia, which is identical to ‘Kazanlik’, and it was introduced by E. Turbat & Cie under the name "Professeur Émile Perrot”.

Dowager Rose Queen (ARS), Phoenix Rose Society Show, 2006.

The origin of this rose remains unknown.

USDA 7 and warmer