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Sometimes I wonder when a rose has been given an interesting name, how that name came to be.
Dr. Buck, with his wife Ruby, gave many of his roses pleasant and interesting names. The following is the origin for some of these rose names.
The following is used by permission of the
Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
From the booklet: Buck Roses, copyright: 1998
(refer to ‘Buck Rose Web Site’
)
“Quotes come from a speech given by Dr. Griffith Buck in 1985 for the Green Bay Botanical Garden Society in Green Bay Wisconsin.” (Buck Roses, 1998)
 Aunt Honey
“The man that got me started on this rose breeding program at Iowa State had a wife who’s name was Helen. Her little nieces couldn’t say Aunt Helen, so I called a rose like they called their aunt, namely ‘Aunt Honey’.”
El Catala
“I wanted to name a rose after Pedro
Dot, a famous Spanish rose breeder who supported me in my breeding. I wrote to Pedro’s son, telling him that I would like to name this rose for his father. I told him I knew his father was very proud of being a Spaniard who was also proud of being a Catalonian. His son replied, “If you are going to name it for my father, why don’t you name it in Catalonian and call it ‘El Catala’.” “ which I did.”
Dorcas
“Dorcas was a television reporter on our college television station. Every noon she would have an interview program. Since I enjoyed being on her program, I named a rose for her.”
Golden Unicorn
‘Golden Unicorn’ was Dr. Buck’s division as a paratrooper.
Les Sjulin
“I named one rose for a friend who was there for me every time I got a little discouraged. ‘ Les Sjulin’.”
(That’s) Incredible
‘That’s Incredible’ “I named it for the comment made by my gardener when I showed him the first bloom.”
Paraglider
“During World War II, I was a paratrooper. Paraglider is the title for the specialty magazine for paratroopers.”
Pearlie Mae
“ ‘Pearlie Mae’ is named for Pearl Bailey because I enjoyed her television program so much.”
Pippa’s Song
“My secretary has a daughter who was born with a very severe heart condition. The doctors predicted she would never live beyond her third birthday. Last year she graduated from high school even though she’s very restricted in what she can do. I named the rose ‘Pippa’s Song’ for her. Pippa said that it was the best graduation present she could have.”
| THE year 's at the spring, |
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| And day 's at the morn; |
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| Morning 's at seven; |
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| The hill-side 's dew-pearl'd; |
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| The lark 's on the wing; |
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| The snail 's on the thorn; |
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| God 's in His heaven— |
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| All 's right with the world! |
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Sevilliana
“ ‘Sevilliana’ commemorates the music and dancing of Seville,
Spain.”
Queen Bee
“A friend of mine was the garden editor for Better Homes and Gardens for many years. She also wrote a gardening column in the Des Moines Sunday Register. She told me that she would not let anyone name a rose for her because she didn’t want to hear; Fleeta has a weak neck, Fleeta blackspots, Fleeta wilts, Fleeta fades. Since she was called the queen bee of garden writers, I took my cue and called this rose ‘Queen Bee’.”
The following is from the excellent book: Botanica’s Roses, The Encyclopedia of Roses, Welcome Rain Publishers, 1998
Amiga Mia
Name means ‘My Friend’ in Spanish. “Buck named it for Californian rosarian
Dorothy Stemler, whose eclectic eye for roses saved many that would have been lost to commerce.”
Other sources:
Paloma Blanca
Name means ‘White Dove’ in Spanish.
Mavourneen
means
"Little Darling" Mr. Buck named this rose for his wife Ruby
Mavourneen
is "my darling"
Joseph
F. Lamb
extraordinarily gifted ragtime pianist and composer
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