Rose – Rainbows End

Q: I visited the rose gardens at the Chattanooga Choo Choo last week and found a rose there I must have! It is a multicolored (red-orange-yellow- gold) miniature rose bush. It was labeled ‘Rainbow’s End’. I thought it would be easy to find but it was apparently mislabeled. The only ‘Rainbow’s End’ I’ve been able to find was a miniature type but had only one color (yellow) Are you familiar with such a rose and where it can be purchased?

A: After looking myself for ‘Rainbow’s End’, I can see why you were so attracted to it. The blooms are deep yellow with red edging. As the blooms age the petals become redder all over and stay attractive while on the blossom. It won the American Rose Society Award of Excellence for Miniatures in 1986.

There are a couple of good sites for rose variety information. I first looked for it at HelpMeFind (www.helpmefind.com/roses) and found the rose you describe plus a list of suppliers.

The American Rose Society (www.ars.org) also has good information on many roses. They note that ‘Rainbow’s End’ produces yellow blooms when grown in shade. The Georgia Extension Service has an excellent rose growing pamphlet at www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/b671-w.html.