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 Harison’s Yellow  

 

('The Yellow Rose of Texas')

What a difference a few days can make!

In both roses and people.

           

Click on the Photo - Instead of a larger photo, it links

to some other fine garden sites that have photos of this rose

and many others.  They are, from top to bottom:

  

          

   

    
  

      
 hariso1.jpg (20625 bytes)

  5/30/00

         
hariso2.jpg (26104 bytes)

 5/29/00

           
hariso3.jpg (15737 bytes)

  5/28/00

                     
hariso4.jpg (24711 bytes)

 5/27/00

    

5/26/00

 Yes, for those who like 'the rest of the story',

the down-side of the blooming cycle is nearly as fast as the up-side.  

This rose bush in Elko, Nv bloomed from: 

                                          first bloom:  6/ 1/97 - last color: 6/16/97

                                                    first:   6/ 9/98 - last:  oops forgot

                                                    first:   6/ 5/99 - last:  6/25/99

                                                    first:  5/23/00 - last:  oops again 

 first:  5/22/01 - last:  6/17/01

'Harison's Yellow' is typically one of the first roses to bloom each Spring.

It generally competes with 'Therese Bugnet' for 'First Rose of Spring' in my yard.

 

Some additional web-pages to visit: 

Yellow Rose Photos

 

 10/27/00

 01/21/01
      Enlargements can be viewed at the Autumn and Winter     
                                   

 'Harison's Yellow'

'Harison's Yellow', also called 'Yellow Rose of Texas', Harison, USA, circa 1830, perhaps 'Rosa spinasissima' x 'Rosa foetida', once blooming, one of the roses that are the first to bloom each season, blooms profusely for about two - three weeks.  No winter die-back in our Zone 5A. I have never observed any rose hip production.  Nice Fragrance.   "After it appeared in the garden of attorney and amateur hybridist George F. Harison in 1830 in what is today downtown Manhattan, it was carried by many pioneers on their journey west."  (Olds, 1998)

 

'Yellow

 Rose

of

 Texas'

Take a few moments and check

this out (click picture).

I enjoyed this!

Lyrics
                   

In the roses forum the following question came up. "Does anyone know which one [rose] is called the "Yellow Rose of Texas"?"

After reading Mark Whitelaw's "Yellow Rose of Texas" article  I would be willing to bet that in the late 1800s or early 1900s (the first recorded copy of the song was written in 1836 and it was copyrighted in 1858) someone walked into a nursery humming this catchy tune and said I would like 'the Yellow Rose of Texas' please.  This customer probably had no inkling that the Yellow Rose of  Texas referred to a young girl of mixed color probably named Emily West Morgan, discussed in Mark Whitelaw's article.  The nursery man wishing to please ... and wishing the sale had two choices in stock Rosa foetida or Harison's yellow - not a lot of brilliant yellow roses before 'Soleil d' Or', bred in 1900. Harison's being more bright yellow got the nod. Then sales people being sales people realized the hook. The next person looking for a rose was greeted with 'How about adding the Yellow Rose of Texas to your collection?' And like so even to this day ... which is how I ended up with one.  Is Harison's Yellow THE Yellow Rose of Texas. I don't know, but I don't think so since most folks in Texas have never seen it grow there.  I think that title belonged only to Emily.  But I do know if you go to the nursery and ask for the Yellow Rose of Texas you are about to get Harison's Yellow.  Let me know what do you think?

 

Olds, Margaret, 1998, Botanica's Roses, Welcome Rain Publishers, New York

© 2000 - Elko Rose Garden Association

Texas Songs:  Lone Star Junction