What Is A Buck Rose And Who Is Dr. Griffith Buck

Buck roses are beautiful and prized flowers. Lovely to look at and easy to care for, Buck shrub roses are an excellent rose for the beginner rose gardener. Keep reading to learn more about Buck roses and their developer, Dr. Griffith Buck.

Who is Dr. Griffith Buck?

Dr. Buck was a researcher and professor of horticulture at Iowa State University until about 1985 where he hybridized around 90 rose varieties along with his other duties there. Dr. Buck was a highly respected member of the rose growing community and member of the American Rose Society for 55 years.

What are Buck Roses?

Basically, a Buck rose, as they have become known, is one of several roses hybridized by Dr. Griffith Buck. Dr. Bucks' philosophy was if roses are too hard to grow then people will simply grow something else. Thus, he set about to hybridize rose bushes that were hardy in severe climates. Dr. Buck took several rose bushes out and planted them, leaving them alone without any winter protection. Those rose bushes that survived became his parent stock for his initial breeding program for Buck roses. When you buy Buck shrub roses for your garden or rose bed, you can rest assured that it has passed the stiff test of harsh winter climatic conditions. I highly recommend Buck rose bushes to all beginning rose gardeners, especially those that can and do have severe winter conditions to deal with. Not only are they cold climate hardy but these rose bushes are very disease resistant as well. In my own rose beds, I have two Buck rose bushes currently and have others on my Want List. The two rose bushes I have include Distant Drums (listed as a Buck shrub roses), which has an amazing blend of apricot and pink to her blooms with a very pleasing fragrance as well. The other Buck rose bush in my rose bed is named Iobelle (listed as a hybrid tea rose). She, too, has a wonderful fragrance and her blended color of white and yellow with kissed red edges to her blooms are beautiful and most welcome in my rose beds. Iobelle has the distinction of having the wonderful and very popular hybrid tea rose named Peace as one of her parents. A few other wonderful Buck roses are:

• Carefree Beauty
• Country Dancer
• Earth Song
• Folksinger
• Mountain Music
• Prairie Princess
• Prairie Sunrise
• September Song
• Square Dancer

These Buck roses listed above are to name only a few. Look for the Buck rose bushes when planning rose bushes for your garden or rose bed. Everyone should have at least one of these delightful hardy and disease resistant rose bushes of their very own!