'Apothecary's Rose' isn't just a heritage rose.Iit's historic. It was cultivated by the Greeks and Romans for medicinal purposes. It was one the most often represented in Renaissance art. In England's War of the Roses, it was the red rose of the house of Lancaster. And by the 19th century, it was credited with so many medicinal virtues that apothecaries planted it by their doors as a 'signpost.'

But about the rose itself. The semi-double flowers are actually a very deep pink with a prominent center of yellow stamens. The flush of bloom in early summer is bountiful, but like all old roses, it doesn't repeat. It's extremely healthy and tough...in fact, it'll even tolerate some shade, This is not a rose that needs pampering, though a little fertilizer in the spring can help.