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DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY | South Africa
200
DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY/South Africa
classi®cation of roses in Volume 3 of this Encyclopaedia. Those interested in venturing more deeply into the individual rose situations are encouraged to take advantage of the references quoted at the end of the article and, naturally, the magazines, annuals and other publications of the National Rose Societies of the contributors. See also: Distribution and Ecology: South Africa; Australia and New Zealand; Continental Asia and Japan; Europe; Israel; North America; South America. History of Roses in Cultivation: Ancient Chinese Roses; European (Pre-1800); Modern (Post-1800). Rose Collections and Trials: Rose Collections and Herbaria; Rose Societies.
Further Reading Austin D (1988) The Heritage of the Rose. Woodbridge, UK: Antique Collectors' Club. Beales P (1985) Classic Roses. London: Collins Harvill. Dickerson BC (1992) The Old Rose Advisor. Portland, OR: Timber Press. Dickerson BC (1999) The Old Rose Adventurer. Portland, OR: Timber Press. Genders R (1965) The Rose: A Complete Handbook. London: Robert Hale. Harkness J (1978) Roses. London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. KruÈssmann G (1987) Roses. London: Batsford. Paul W (1978) The Rose Garden. London: Heydon. Thomas GS (1955) The Old Shrub Roses. London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. Thomas GS (1962) Shrub Roses of Today. London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. Thomas GS (1965) Climbing Roses Old and New. London: Phoenix House.
South Africa H Brichet, World Federation of Rose Societies, San Terenziano, Italy # 2003, Elsevier Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
The author gratefully acknowledges the contribution of Ludwig Taschner (Federation of Rose Societies of South Africa) in the preparation of this article.
South Africa Climate and Soils
The vastly differing climatic regions in South Africa can be categorized as follows: 1. The subtropical region has temperatures ranging
between 15 C and 40 C and generally frequent
rainfall throughout the year. Roses ¯ower continually and do not experience winter dormancy in the northern and easternmost parts of the country. 2. There is summer rainfall in the vast central plateau and interior of the country at an altitude between 1300 and 1800 m with temperatures ranging between 10 and 40 C during summer from October to May, and winter temperatures from ÿ10 C at night to 25 C at midday with virtually no rainfall from May until October. 3. Winter rainfall occurs in the coastal region of the Cape Province with temperatures varying in summer between 15 C minimum and 35 C maximum (November to March) with hardly any rain, and winter temperatures between 3 C and 18 C. The roses start ¯owering by mid-October and extend into May. 4. Semidesert conditions prevail in the Karoo and the Kalahari Desert with extremely hot summers and very cold winters and a minimum of rainfall. Roses perform well in this region when irrigated regularly, ¯owering from October into May. Various soil types are found within individual gardens in all regions. The prevalent soils are red sandy loam and a black turf with varying percentages of sand and clay. The irrigation water obtained from wells and irrigation dams is often of a poor quality for rose growing as it contains a high percentage of sodium. Wild Roses
There are, of course, no indigenous species of rose in South Africa. Rosa rubiginosa is naturalized in the Drakensburg mountainous areas at an altitude between 2000 and 3000 m. The winters are suf®ciently cold in that region for the seeds to germinate after having been distributed by birds. This rose grows widely in the region, along roadsides and in grazing ®elds. It has now been declared a noxious weed in South Africa. `Natal Briar', which is thought to be the result of natural hybridization between a R. multi¯ora and a R. damascena, grows wild in the subtropical climate of the Natal Province. It can be seen on embankments and fences as well as along roadsides. Cultivated Roses
The ®rst rose plants were brought to South Africa from The Netherlands by the ®rst Governor of the naval refreshment station and later Cape Colony, Jan van Riebeeck, in 1657. Subsequently settlers from various countries brought European varieties into the country while ships returning from the Far East seem to have left species and varieties from those distant and exotic lands.
DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY/Australia and New Zealand
Nurserymen have discovered that rooted cuttings of `Natal Briar' make excellent understock for budding roses and distribution of this rose has taken place in the form of suckers from budded roses and also from rooted runners. The canes are frost tender, but it is evergreen in regions with warm winters. Thus, it is the preferred rootstock for commercial cut roses for year-round production in The Netherlands, Kenya, Colombia and Ecuador. Millions of cuttings are being exported annually to these countries from South Africa. At present about 1000 rose cultivars are grown throughout the country. Rose nurseries in South Africa represent most well-known rose breeders and their roses are grown in trial grounds, the most suitable varieties being released commercially. The favourite rose variety over the past two decades has been `Iceberg'. Commercial rose growers report that above 5% of total rose production is that of `Iceberg' produced either as a bush, budded onto a standard stem or as the climbing sport. Mature bushes of `Iceberg' easily grow to dimensions of 2 2 m. Floribundas are popular for public places, large gardens and landscaped area. Hybrid Tea varieties are still the most popular roses for the home owner. Cutting blooms for the home is an important reason for planting roses. David Austin's `English Roses' and other fragrant nostalgia roses are planted selectively, mostly for their fragrance. Here they do have the stigma of being overly vigorous and shy bloomers. Groundcover, Climbing and Miniature roses are also widely grown. Virtually all garden roses are propagated by skin budding onto a hardwood cutting of the understock R. multi¯ora `Brooks' 48'. This rootstock, amongst others, was introduced into South Africa in the 1950s from Texas. It was made virus free through the use of heat therapy in the 1960s by the Horticultural Research Institute in Pretoria, indexed and made available in large quantities to all rose nurseries. About 2 million garden roses are sold and planted in South Africa annually. About 7 million cut-¯ower rose blooms are purchased every month by consumers in South Africa. In addition about 2 million blooms per month are Table 1 Annual production of cut roses in Africa Country Kenya Malawi Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
Number of plants grown (million) 80 2 4 4 6 30
201
exported to various countries. Most of the cut roses are produced in modern polysheet-roofed greenhouses. These ¯owers are cut from about 10 million rose plants. The commercial production of cut roses has become one of the prime export commodities in other African countries. Estimated numbers of plants grown for cut¯ower production are given in Table 1. See also: Distribution and Ecology: Overview. History of Roses in Cultivation: Modern (Post-1800). Production and Marketing: Cut Rose Production. Rootstocks: Rootstock Breeding. Rose Collections and Trials: Rose Collections and Herbaria.
Further Reading Carter G (1914) The South African Home Garden. Maritzburg, South Africa. Fagan G (1988) Roses in the Cape of Good Hope. Cape Town, South Africa: Bree Street Publishers. Fairbridge D (1924) Gardens of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Maskew Miller. Pertwee J (2003) Production and marketing of roses. Elsevier International Business Information, [email protected]. Readers' Digest (1971) Complete Guide to Gardening in South Africa, 2 vols. Readers' Digest: London. Smith CW (1953) Rose Growing in South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Central News Agency. Taschner L (date) Roses. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Publishers. Taschner L (date) Living with Roses. Pretoria, South Africa: Ludwig's Roses Pty Ltd. Taschner L (date) Retail Catalogue. Pretoria, South Africa: Ludwig's Roses Pty Ltd. Van der Spuy KR (1969) Old Nectar and Roses. Cape Town, South Africa: Books of Africa Pty Ltd.
Australia and New Zealand H Brichet, World Federation of Rose Societies, San Terenziano, Italy # 2003, Elsevier Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
The author gratefully acknowledges the contribution of Margaret Macgregor, David Ruston, Malcom Watson and Richard Walsh (National Rose Society of Australia), and Doug Grant (The National Rose Society of New Zealand) in the preparation of this article.
Australia Climate and Soils
Large central tracts of this vast continent are deserts and thus inhospitable to humans and roses. The
DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY/South Africa
classi®cation of roses in Volume 3 of this Encyclopaedia. Those interested in venturing more deeply into the individual rose situations are encouraged to take advantage of the references quoted at the end of the article and, naturally, the magazines, annuals and other publications of the National Rose Societies of the contributors. See also: Distribution and Ecology: South Africa; Australia and New Zealand; Continental Asia and Japan; Europe; Israel; North America; South America. History of Roses in Cultivation: Ancient Chinese Roses; European (Pre-1800); Modern (Post-1800). Rose Collections and Trials: Rose Collections and Herbaria; Rose Societies.
Further Reading Austin D (1988) The Heritage of the Rose. Woodbridge, UK: Antique Collectors' Club. Beales P (1985) Classic Roses. London: Collins Harvill. Dickerson BC (1992) The Old Rose Advisor. Portland, OR: Timber Press. Dickerson BC (1999) The Old Rose Adventurer. Portland, OR: Timber Press. Genders R (1965) The Rose: A Complete Handbook. London: Robert Hale. Harkness J (1978) Roses. London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. KruÈssmann G (1987) Roses. London: Batsford. Paul W (1978) The Rose Garden. London: Heydon. Thomas GS (1955) The Old Shrub Roses. London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. Thomas GS (1962) Shrub Roses of Today. London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. Thomas GS (1965) Climbing Roses Old and New. London: Phoenix House.
South Africa H Brichet, World Federation of Rose Societies, San Terenziano, Italy # 2003, Elsevier Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
The author gratefully acknowledges the contribution of Ludwig Taschner (Federation of Rose Societies of South Africa) in the preparation of this article.
South Africa Climate and Soils
The vastly differing climatic regions in South Africa can be categorized as follows: 1. The subtropical region has temperatures ranging
between 15 C and 40 C and generally frequent
rainfall throughout the year. Roses ¯ower continually and do not experience winter dormancy in the northern and easternmost parts of the country. 2. There is summer rainfall in the vast central plateau and interior of the country at an altitude between 1300 and 1800 m with temperatures ranging between 10 and 40 C during summer from October to May, and winter temperatures from ÿ10 C at night to 25 C at midday with virtually no rainfall from May until October. 3. Winter rainfall occurs in the coastal region of the Cape Province with temperatures varying in summer between 15 C minimum and 35 C maximum (November to March) with hardly any rain, and winter temperatures between 3 C and 18 C. The roses start ¯owering by mid-October and extend into May. 4. Semidesert conditions prevail in the Karoo and the Kalahari Desert with extremely hot summers and very cold winters and a minimum of rainfall. Roses perform well in this region when irrigated regularly, ¯owering from October into May. Various soil types are found within individual gardens in all regions. The prevalent soils are red sandy loam and a black turf with varying percentages of sand and clay. The irrigation water obtained from wells and irrigation dams is often of a poor quality for rose growing as it contains a high percentage of sodium. Wild Roses
There are, of course, no indigenous species of rose in South Africa. Rosa rubiginosa is naturalized in the Drakensburg mountainous areas at an altitude between 2000 and 3000 m. The winters are suf®ciently cold in that region for the seeds to germinate after having been distributed by birds. This rose grows widely in the region, along roadsides and in grazing ®elds. It has now been declared a noxious weed in South Africa. `Natal Briar', which is thought to be the result of natural hybridization between a R. multi¯ora and a R. damascena, grows wild in the subtropical climate of the Natal Province. It can be seen on embankments and fences as well as along roadsides. Cultivated Roses
The ®rst rose plants were brought to South Africa from The Netherlands by the ®rst Governor of the naval refreshment station and later Cape Colony, Jan van Riebeeck, in 1657. Subsequently settlers from various countries brought European varieties into the country while ships returning from the Far East seem to have left species and varieties from those distant and exotic lands.
DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY/Australia and New Zealand
Nurserymen have discovered that rooted cuttings of `Natal Briar' make excellent understock for budding roses and distribution of this rose has taken place in the form of suckers from budded roses and also from rooted runners. The canes are frost tender, but it is evergreen in regions with warm winters. Thus, it is the preferred rootstock for commercial cut roses for year-round production in The Netherlands, Kenya, Colombia and Ecuador. Millions of cuttings are being exported annually to these countries from South Africa. At present about 1000 rose cultivars are grown throughout the country. Rose nurseries in South Africa represent most well-known rose breeders and their roses are grown in trial grounds, the most suitable varieties being released commercially. The favourite rose variety over the past two decades has been `Iceberg'. Commercial rose growers report that above 5% of total rose production is that of `Iceberg' produced either as a bush, budded onto a standard stem or as the climbing sport. Mature bushes of `Iceberg' easily grow to dimensions of 2 2 m. Floribundas are popular for public places, large gardens and landscaped area. Hybrid Tea varieties are still the most popular roses for the home owner. Cutting blooms for the home is an important reason for planting roses. David Austin's `English Roses' and other fragrant nostalgia roses are planted selectively, mostly for their fragrance. Here they do have the stigma of being overly vigorous and shy bloomers. Groundcover, Climbing and Miniature roses are also widely grown. Virtually all garden roses are propagated by skin budding onto a hardwood cutting of the understock R. multi¯ora `Brooks' 48'. This rootstock, amongst others, was introduced into South Africa in the 1950s from Texas. It was made virus free through the use of heat therapy in the 1960s by the Horticultural Research Institute in Pretoria, indexed and made available in large quantities to all rose nurseries. About 2 million garden roses are sold and planted in South Africa annually. About 7 million cut-¯ower rose blooms are purchased every month by consumers in South Africa. In addition about 2 million blooms per month are Table 1 Annual production of cut roses in Africa Country Kenya Malawi Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
Number of plants grown (million) 80 2 4 4 6 30
201
exported to various countries. Most of the cut roses are produced in modern polysheet-roofed greenhouses. These ¯owers are cut from about 10 million rose plants. The commercial production of cut roses has become one of the prime export commodities in other African countries. Estimated numbers of plants grown for cut¯ower production are given in Table 1. See also: Distribution and Ecology: Overview. History of Roses in Cultivation: Modern (Post-1800). Production and Marketing: Cut Rose Production. Rootstocks: Rootstock Breeding. Rose Collections and Trials: Rose Collections and Herbaria.
Further Reading Carter G (1914) The South African Home Garden. Maritzburg, South Africa. Fagan G (1988) Roses in the Cape of Good Hope. Cape Town, South Africa: Bree Street Publishers. Fairbridge D (1924) Gardens of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Maskew Miller. Pertwee J (2003) Production and marketing of roses. Elsevier International Business Information, [email protected]. Readers' Digest (1971) Complete Guide to Gardening in South Africa, 2 vols. Readers' Digest: London. Smith CW (1953) Rose Growing in South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Central News Agency. Taschner L (date) Roses. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Publishers. Taschner L (date) Living with Roses. Pretoria, South Africa: Ludwig's Roses Pty Ltd. Taschner L (date) Retail Catalogue. Pretoria, South Africa: Ludwig's Roses Pty Ltd. Van der Spuy KR (1969) Old Nectar and Roses. Cape Town, South Africa: Books of Africa Pty Ltd.
Australia and New Zealand H Brichet, World Federation of Rose Societies, San Terenziano, Italy # 2003, Elsevier Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
The author gratefully acknowledges the contribution of Margaret Macgregor, David Ruston, Malcom Watson and Richard Walsh (National Rose Society of Australia), and Doug Grant (The National Rose Society of New Zealand) in the preparation of this article.
Australia Climate and Soils
Large central tracts of this vast continent are deserts and thus inhospitable to humans and roses. The