THE BLACK DRAGON ROSE




If you love roses, or if like me you don't particularly like them but have been around them enough to know one end from the other, then you may have come across this absolutely stunning cultivar known as the Black Dragon Rose.

It is undeniably beautiful. In fact, it is in my opinion perhaps the most beautiful flowering rose that I have ever seen! So of course, the garden centers will be selling them by the million which means that everyone will have at least three in their front garden.

Rosa mundi -  http://mimmapallavicini.wordpress.com/
But they don't do they, and if you do your research you will find that only one image exists. That image is the one that you can see above.

Suspicious yet?

Until any arrival of any further evidence the it appears that the Black Dragon Rose is a fake. It doesn't exist. In my opinion it looks like a colour adjusted image of a far more common rose cultivar, either the historic Rosa mundi or Rosa 'Purple Tiger'.

Of course, I am not saying that out there in the world they there are no impressive variegated rose cultivars similar in colouration to the Black Dragon rose. However, my problem is this. Rogue traders are selling Black Dragon Rose seeds, and this should throw up an enormous red flag to anyone in the know.

Rule 1. Only species roses grow true to the parent plant from seed. Rose cultivars are vegetatively propagated only. THEY ARE NEVER GROWN FROM SEED BECAUSE THEY DO NOT GROW TRUE FROM SEED!

So if you ever feel the urge to buy fake Black Dragon Rose seed, or any other seed that seems too good to be true, then stop and do your research first. You can end up saving yourself both money, and heartache. and it will also make you feel slightly more superior.

PS. For those readers who have taken the time to list suppliers that are selling Black Dragon Rose seeds in the comments section as proof that Black Dragon rose seeds exist I have this to say. They may have a black Dragon Rose. They may have collected seed from their Black Dragon rose. They may even be selling the seed collected from their Black Dragon rose. But will the roses grown from the Black Dragon Rose seed look like the Black Dragon rose seen in the picture? 

Answer: No!!!! Go back to rule 1.

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