There is a consensus that R. x damascena is a natural hybrid between "R. gallica" and "R. phoenicia", originating from the Middle East.
R. phoenicia is a wild Near Eastern rose with small white flowers and roots which reach very deep into the ground. The Damask Rose was known by the Romans and after the Dark Ages was brought back to Europe.
According to tradition, a Crusader, Robert de la Brie, brought it back to France in 1254; in the first half of the 16th century it was documented in Spain, France, England, Italy.
The "species" R. x damascena can still be found in the wild in Syria, Morocco, even in the Caucasus. It is a tall suckering shrub, about 2 metres high, with long green branches covered with thorns, grey-green leaves with 7 leaflets, semi-double pink flowers with about thirty petals, solitary or in small clusters, very sweet perfume.
Damask Rose
Damask roses, Damascene roses, are the most famous and most sought-after, almost certainly originating in the Middle East.
