Trudeau Rose Raising Money for the Canadian Avalanche Foundation

Credit: VCBF BC Blossom Watch?

A memorial tribute

The rose discovered by Michel Trudeau’s aunt and named in his memory is giving back to Canada’s winter-sport enthusiasts.


A chance seedling found at Betsy and Robin Dening’s own Brentwood Bay Nurseries sparked immediate interest. Betsy decided this rose should carry her nephew’s name and benefit avalanche awareness. The son of Margaret and the late Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Michel perished in an avalanche while skiing in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park in 1998.

 

Raising funds

Since the ‘Michel Trudeau Memorial Rose’ was released through garden centres last spring, support has been strong. Purchases through the rose’s licensed grower, Adamson’s Heritage Nursery Ltd., have generated $2,150 for the Canadian Avalanche Foundation (CAF, www.avalanche.ca) already.


“We will continue to promote this rose to gardeners through their favourite garden centres,” said Ken Knechtel of Adamson’s. “The money gardeners can raise by buying or gifting this rose to their friends will have a significant and ongoing effect on the work that the CAF is able to do to protect skiers, snowboarders and sledders. But besides that, the rose has great value in the landscape – it’s a really terrific plant.”

 

Identified as a unique rugosa rose

The intensely-scented deep-pink blooms splashed with white are repeat flowering from spring to fall, and the blazing plum-red autumn foliage is followed by eye-catching red hips that attract birds to the winter garden. Although the parentage is unknown, it was identified as a unique rugosa rose, and has proven to be extremely winter hardy to zone 2. The ‘Michel Trudeau Memorial Rose’ does best in fertile, free-draining soil in full sun. Mulch after planting and water two to three times per week until established. It grows to 120 cm (4 ft.) high to 90 cm (3 ft.) wide – or bigger on the West Coast.