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This is a rose much used in the "old days" and it has survived in the Nordic climate for decades. Name is lost but the rose still exist in several farm gardens. Its tough and thorny, respond well to fertilising, but can live on practically "nothing". Sends out a mass of root shoots when the mother plant is stressed. It is not always healthy, but responds well to treatment.
The pink semi-double, medium sized flowers are a bundle of disorganised petals, but the heavenly scent makes up for it. It makes a bush about 1,5m high, often with some discoloured leaves.

When planting this rose in your garden, make sure it has plenty of room and is far away from smaller roses. Should be planted either solitaire or with other historic roses. Best grown on its own root. Flowers once in the summer.

This rose have been known in Norway since the beginning of the last century. A son of a Norwegian priest is believed to have brought this rose with him from Giessen in Germany where he studied. It has the typical alba leafs, medium pink semi-double flowers with no scent. It is a plant that can grow well even if neglected by the owner! It flowers more than abundantly for about 3 weeks and is "a sight for sore eyes".

Sometimes you see it more or less growing wild. Produces a lot of root shoots, which in some cases are given away to neighbours and friends. The plant you see in the picture is grown in Oslo and are more than 3 meters tall.
A perfect rose for cold climates and careless gardeners! Very common in Norway, more or less unknown to the rest of the world.

This is one of the worlds most hardy climber, made in Finland.
Small semi-double white flowers in cascades when it flowers. Flowering time last 3-4 weeks, mostly in July. No scent.

The branches can reach a height of 4 meters even in cold areas. Survives bitterly cold temperatures and wind.

Can be used as a free growing shrub and then it need plenty of space. I have seen it at Lillehammer (Winter Olympics 1994) grown to about 3,5 meters. It covered one wall of a two story house almost completely. Can be grown into (old) trees.
The rose do not need much care and can perform wonderfully in poor soil. Sometimes it can get a spell of mildew.

This rose have in decades been common several places in Sweden under the name "Gotlandsrosen". Its origin is still not clear.
Nils Dahlbeck's theory is that Garden Intendant Carl Stenberg (1785-1872) at the Royal Horticultural Experimental Field created the rose and named it in honour of his boss Gabriel P. Poppius (1770-1856).
Hellmut Merker indicates another possibility. The rose could be a selected variety from the import from Browns e.g. Freundlichs nameless varieties at that time. Another theory is that the rose have come from "the East".

Anyway, Poppius is one of the hardiest roses I have ever encountered. 6 years ago I planted a few plants on their own roots at *Fokstua, 1000m above sea level. The climate is harsh, a long cold, windy winters and short low temperature summers. Every summer it blooms even if the height is no more than 30-40 cm. Normal height is up to 2meters! Some rugosas besides it have said goodbye some years ago.
It flowers abundantly once early in the summer and it is suitable for the extreme cold climates. No scent.
*=Fokstua is situated 2,5 hours drive South of Trondheim

For a long time this rose was called Rosa Suionum; "the Rose of the Swedes". Helmut Merker identified the rose in 1984 as 'Minette'. The rose was also popular and common in Finland and there it was called "mustialrose". We can find it in old Norwegian gardens, so it must have been used a lot in the Nordic countries for centuries.

It is atypical for an alba rose. Barely 1,2 meter at its best and light green leaves, not the greengreyish colour that is so pertinent for albas. The pink flowers are very double with thin petals that stick in wet weather. If it rains during flowering, it only produce rotten buds. Otherwise, and most of the time the flowers come out and have a heavenly scent. It flowers once in the summer and is very hardy.

The rose have been used in Norway for many years back. It is popular in the the North Trondelag area and around Trondheim. It is hardy, prolific and can be grown in poor soil.
The original name is lost and it is named after the area where it is most common: Namdalen.

Some say it is Rosa pimpinellifolia lutea plena, which I believe is as correct as can be, some say it is 'Williams Double Yellow'.

The flowers has a pleasant scent and the plant is healthy. It flowers only once in the summer. Foliage is typical pimpinellifolia, small and roundish leaves. It has a spreading habit and average height is about 1 meter.

Only sold in Norway as far as I know.

This is a mutation of the climber 'Leverkusen', found at Hamar, Norway by the well known Norwegian rose expert, Lennart Mellbye. in the early sixties.

The rose can reach a height of 2,5-3meters, depending on the climate and place. It has beautiful semi-double flowers of an irresistible delicate colour and some fragrance. The shiny deep green leaves add to the perfection of this rose. It flowers through the season and always attract attention in the garden.

I have grown it in part shadow and it still performed well. It is fairly hardy, almost similar to 'Leverkusen'.

Only sold in Scandinavia as far as I know.