The Explorer roses were developed at the agriculture research station in Ottawa, Ontario and l’Assumption, Quebec to withstand the cold Canadian winters. Using Rosa rugosa, R. kordesii, Hybrid Teas, and Floribundas breeders produced roses that had the hardiness and disease resistance of old roses with the beauty and repeat blooming of modern roses. The resulting series consists of about twenty two cultivars named to honor Canadian explorers and includes red, pink, white, and a few yellow flowered plants as well as low growing groundcover, upright shrub, and climbing roses.
‘Frontenac’
Masses of cupped shaped light crimson or deep pink flowers are produced in clusters of three to eight. A patch of white adorns the center and forms streaks into the petals. Dense shrubby plants carry dark green glossy foliage. Outstanding resistance to black spot. Flowers are good for cutting. Comte Frontenac was a governor of New France in the late 17th century.
Type: Shrub
Size: 3-4’ H x 3” W
Growth Habit: Compact, upright
Flower Size: 3-3.5”
Petal Count: 20-25
Scent: Light
Flowering: Occasional repeat
Hardiness: Zones 3-8
‘Jens Monk’
The lightly cupped flowers are medium pink occasionally with white streaks and with slightly paler backs. They are carried in clusters of two to five on short stems and are followed by decorative hips in the fall. The vigorous bushes are compact and mounded and have heavily thorned branches with wrinkled olive green leaves. Tolerates some shade. Jens Munk was a Dano-Norweigian navigator and explorer who tried to find the Northwest Passage.
Type: Rugosa Hybrid
Size:4.5’ H x 4.5’ W
Growth Habit: Compact,mounded
Flower Size: 2.5-3.5”
Petal Count:25
Scent: Strong, spicy and sweet
Flowering: Repeats well
Hardiness: Zones 2-8
‘John Davis’
The lightly scented flowers are carried in clusters of ten to seventeen and are bright pink before fading to light pink with creamy bases. The flowers have an old fashioned form and are sometimes quartered. The leathery leaves clothe prickly stems and are red at first but turn dark glossy green. John Davis was the first navigator to pass through the Davis Straight into Baffin Bay.
Type: Kordesii Hybrid
Size: 7’ H x 5’ W
Growth Habit: Trailing
Flower Size: 3-3.5”
Petal Count:40
Scent: Light, spicy
Flowering: Occassional repeat
Hardiness: Zones 2-7
‘Lambert Closse’
The flowers have a hybrid tea form with long dark pink petals that fade to pale pink. They are usually carried singly but sometimes in twos or threes on strong upright stems and are followed by hips. The compact bushes have thorny stems with pale green glossy leaves. The small size makes it a good border shrub and the flowers are good for cutting. Lambert Closse was a 17th century French merchant who died fighting the Iroquois.
Type: Shrub
Size: 3-4’ H x 3-4’ W
Growth Habit: Compact, upright
Flower Size:3”
Petal Count:53
Scent: Light and fruity
Flowering: Repeats well
Hardiness: Zones 2-7
‘Martin Frobishner’
The flowers are carried in clusters of three to five on long slender stems that are good for cutting. The petals are pink on the upperside, white on the reverse, and open to reveal a button eye. The petals turn brown before falling and no hips are produced. The upright vigorous plants have almost thornless reddish brown stems and gray green glaucous leaves. Suckers make propagation easier. Grows and blooms well even in warm climates. Martin Frobishner was an English seaman and privateer who made three voyages to the New World looking for the Northwesst Passage.
Type: Rugosa Hybrid
Size: 5-6’ H x 4’ W
Growth Habit: Upright
Flower Size: 2.5-3”
Petal Count: 25-40
Scent: Medium, sweet
Flowering: Repeats well
Hardiness: Zones 2-8
‘Simon Frazer’
The bright pink flowers are produced singly or in clusters of two to seven and have a white patch at the center. The petals have a distinctive roll and greatly vary in number from five to twenty-two with the earliest flowers having the least number of petals.
The plants have a moderate amount of prickles and dark glossy leaves. With its short statue, ‘Simon Frazer’ is a good choice for a groundcover. Simon Fraser explored and charted most of modern day British Columbia.
Type: Shrub
Size:2’H x 2’W
Growth Habit: Upright, low growing
Flower Size: 2”
Petal Count: 5-22
Scent: Light and musky
Flowering: Occasional repeat
Hardiness: Zones 3-8
‘William Baffin’
Clusters of ten to thirty deep pink flowers with flat bloom form, white flashes at their base and paler pink reverses are produced on prickly arching stems. The small leaves are thick, glossy and medium green. A good choice for a pillar or trellis. Although resistant to black spot, powdery mildew and rust in Canada, it is less resistant in warmer climates. William Baffin was the English Artic explorer who discovered Baffin Bay in 1616.
Type: Kordesii Hybrid
Size: 5-9’ H s 6’ W
Growth Habit: Climber
Flower Size: 2-2.8”
Petal Count: 20
Scent: Little or none
Flowering: Occasional repeat
Hardiness: Zones 2-9