Damask Rose
Rosa × damascena
📖 About this plant
The Damask Rose is one of the most ancient and culturally significant roses, revered for millennia for its intoxicating fragrance. It is the primary source of commercial rose oil (attar of roses) and rose water, with Bulgaria’s Valley of Roses producing the finest quality. The pink flowers appear in prolific flushes during late spring to early summer, filling the air with an unforgettable sweet scent. The national flower of Iran and Iraq.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun (6+ hrs)
Every 1-2 weeks
Moderate (40-60%)
10-30°C
Well-draining, fertile loamy soil (pH 6.0-6.5); enriched with aged compost; tolerates poorer soils but blooms best in rich ground
Balanced rose fertilizer (10-10-10) every 4-6 weeks from early spring through late summer; top-dress with compost annually in early spring
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Middle East — ancient hybrid believed to have originated in the Damascus region of Syria; cultivated for over 2,000 years across Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and the Mediterranean
- 📏 Max height
- 90-180 cm (3-6 ft); upright, slightly arching canes with fine prickles
- 📐 Spread
- 90-150 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring - Summer
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Pink
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Gray-Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic — widely used in culinary applications, herbal teas, rose water, and aromatherapy worldwide. Rose hips are among the richest natural sources of Vitamin C. Thorns are a physical hazard. Leaves may cause mild GI upset in pets if ingested in large amounts.
- 🌱 Propagation
- Softwood cuttings in early summer, hardwood cuttings in late autumn, layering of low-growing canes, or grafting onto Rosa canina rootstock
🛡️ Health & Safety
Non-toxic — widely used in culinary applications, herbal teas, rose water, and aromatherapy worldwide. Rose hips are among the richest natural sources of Vitamin C. Thorns are a physical hazard. Leaves may cause mild GI upset in pets if ingested in large amounts.
Common issues
- Powdery mildew during humid spells, Aphids concentrated on buds and young shoots, Caterpillars eating flower buds, Thrips causing deformed blooms, Root rot in waterlogged soils, Reduced fragrance in very hot conditions, Rust fungus in cool, damp weather
💡 Care tips
- Ancient rose variety famous for its intense damask fragrance,The primary rose used in commercial rose oil production,Blooms once in a spectacular early summer display,Tolerates poor soil and drought conditions better than modern roses
