Firstly, it has been stated at numerous places that the suckers sprouting from the roots or any place below the graft are wild / jangli gulab. Now we are talking about the root stock here and as per my information, most grafters in Pakistan use Rosa centifolia as the root stock. Some also use Gruss an Taplitz (surkha or desi gulab) as root stock. Are there any growers / nurseries who use any wild rose as a route stock?? Please share if you have any information on this ie, using any wild rose as a root stock by nurserymen in Pakistan.
Rosa centifolia, though included in the specie roses, is basically a hybrid rose. However, its very old and no proper record / details of hybridization are held with us. Even this is not clear whether the hybridization occurred naturally / incidentally or was purposefully done by a rose breeder. However, one thing is certain that Rosa centifolia, though a very old rose, is not a naturally existing rose but a hybrid. Since it is very old and existed much before the formal recording process of rose hybridization was started, it has been included in the specie roses. Please note that almost all naturally existing specie roses are single petal roses.
Secondly, about the term "Desi Gulab". What we call Desi is not Desi at all. It is Gruss an Taplitz which is one of the ten roses from OLD ROSE HALL OF FAME. It was bred by Rudolf Geschwind before 1897 in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. This multiple award winning rose is so outstanding that it survives in most parts of the world and needs minimum care. Propagates easily by any method, is extremely disease resistant and keeps producing heavily scented flowers even when neglected. It was brought to India by British and it felt quite at home here. Probably our fathers of our grand fathers saw it growing every where and started calling it Desi Gulab or Surkha or as the nursery walas call it "Gruzan" (which seem to be a derivation of Gruss an Teplitz). By all standards, Gruss an Taplitz is a legendary rose. However, for most of us it will perhaps stay a Desi Rose always
Just my two cents
PS: Are most forum members on holidays or something
