92— THE PERSIAN YELLOW ROSE 
The Persian Yellow Rose was brought from Persia in 1838 by 
Sir Henry Willock, K.L.S., Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleni- 
potentiary at Teheran. 1 It soon became popular, and in the Gardener s 
Chronicle for 1843 appears the advertisement: “Mr. Hooker has 
a few plants to spare of the new Persian Yellow Rose on short 
stems at 15^. each. Nursery Gardens, Brenchley, near Lamberhurst, 
Kent.” 2 In a notice to correspondents it is stated that this Rose 
much resembles the old double yellow. In 1848 a drawing made by 
Stroobank from a plant growing in Van Houtte’s garden appeared 
in the Flore des Serres et des Jar dins de l Europe? accompanied by a 
description by Lemaire. The next reference is in the Revue H orticole 
of 1 850, 4 where we read that the Persian Yellow was exhibited by 
M. Marest at a show of the Society Nationale d’ Horticulture in the 
Luxembourg Gardens. The writer goes on to say that among such 
a multitude of beautiful Roses it is impossible to mention all those 
deserving of particular commendation, but that he could not resist 
singling out such a Rose as this. At the same Society’s show in 
1852 M. Marest again exhibited the Persian Yellow in great beauty; 
it was the only yellow Rose in the exhibition and formed the centre 
of attraction to an admiring public. 
It is easy to understand the popularity of the beautiful Persian 
Yellow Rose, for, with the exception of Rosa hemisphaerica H errm. 
(then generally known as the double yellow Provence Rose), nothing 
so striking had been seen, while the fact that it flowered freely and 
was easy of culture soon led to its being grown in every garden worthy 
of the name. It had, moreover, the great advantage over Rosa 
hemisphaerica of expanding its flowers in spite of the vagaries of the 
English climate ; and, notwithstanding its lack of fragrance, it had a 
distinctive charm of its own. Now, however, it is rarely met with, 
having been crowded out by the overwhelming invasion of new Roses 
of every kind ; but although its place has been to a large extent usurped, 
1 An account of his career is to be found in Colonsay to Teheran , being the Memoirs of the Right 
Hon. Sir John Me Kill, G.C.B . , and in Notes on the Willock Family , by H. D. Willock, 1902. 
2 February 1 1, p. 82. 
3 PI. 364- 
4 P. 1 37 - 
271 
