Rose de Rescht is a wonderful Portland Damask rose that was rediscovered in Persia in 1945 by English gardener Nancy Lindsay. Nancy brought Rose de Rescht back to England from Persia and introduced it to the commercial market. I have seen many references to this rose that indicate that it existed in culture in both Persia and North America before its rediscovery.

Rose de Rescht produces several flushes of repeat bloom throughout the season in my garden. It does not repeat all the time like a shrub bush such as Knockout, but repeats in distinct cycles. It blooms, pauses briefly, then makes a new burst of growth, and flowers again. I really enjoy this cycle and find that you can fairly easily predict when it is going to give you another burst of blooms.

In my zone 5 garden it grows to a height of about 3.5 feet, always remaining a clean, domed bush, well foliated except when the Japanese beetles come to call and give half of it a lace like look. It always seems to survive the beetles ravaging and bounces back with a vengeance in its next growth spurt.  It requires little pruning, and I find that it does bloom best old wood giving more clusters of 2-3 flowers on last years and 2 year old wood. I find that new growth tends to produce more single blooms.  I find that I do have to prune away wood after 2 years because I wish to keep my Rose de Rescht fairly compact in its border bed. Also it is quite hardy only showing 2-3 inches of winter dieback a year, without protection. It is quite disease resistant and healthy in my no spray garden. It may loose 10-15% of its leaves to black spot but it continues to bloom as if unbothered from the baring of its ankles. My plant is grown on its own roots.

The bloom is not very large compared to some of the modern hybrids; about 2.5 to 3 inches across. It has beautiful cabbage like opening bud that quickly grows to pompon form. The scent is super strong; pure sweet Damask. My husband, who is really sensitive to all scents, calls this rose stinky.

Rose de Rescht is shown in ARS events as an Old Garden Rose (introduced 1867 or later) and is eligible for the ARS Victorian Award. I have the Victorian Rose Award at our local rose show with Rose de Rescht and hope to continue to show it again every year.

While not officially designated an Earth Kind Rose many growers in the midwest and mid-atlantic find this rose grows and thrives with minimal care. I organically fertilize my roses once a year and then mulch heavily and then do little else. Rose de Rescht blooms through it all, drought, rain, and even hail. I would greatly recommend this rose to anyone wanting fragrant blooms without a lot of fussing or care.

Here is what Help Me Find says about Rose de Rescht.

Class:	Damask, Portland, Shrub.
Availability:	Commercially available. Rose de Rescht is also known as "Rose de Resht"
Origin:	Rose de Rescht was bred before the 1900s. The breeder is Unknown.
Bloom:	Deep pink [dp], Purple-red blooms.  Moderate, Strong, Damask fragrance.  Average diameter 2.5".  Double (17-25 petals) bloom form.  Continuous (perpetual) bloom throughout the season, Spring/Summer flush with scattered later bloom.
Habitat:	Compact, dense, Suckers on its own roots growth habit.  Height of 36" to 4' (90 to 120 cm).  Width of up to 30". (up to 75 cm).
Growing:	Zone 4 thru 9.  Shade tolerant.
Parentage:	Unknown.