Evergreen Cemetery was once featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not as the largest outdoor rose garden in the world! From the early 1900s through the 1960s, it's estimated that over 1,000 rose bushes adorned family plots across the cemetery grounds. Many of these roses are classified as Old Garden Roses (OGRs), varieties that predate 1867—the year the first hybrid tea rose, La France, was introduced.
OGR roses can often be identified by their distinctive thorn patterns, with thorns closely spaced along the stems. At Evergreen Cemetery, several OGR varieties have been identified, including the historically significant Harrison's Yellow.
The origin of Harrison's Yellow traces back to 1824, when New York attorney George Folliott Harison cultivated the first yellow rose bred in the United States. William Prince of Long Island later took cuttings from Harison’s rose and began marketing it in the mid-1830s, making it widely available. Over time, it became known as the “Yellow Rose of Texas” and the “Oregon Trail Rose,” as pioneer women often carried it west during migration.
Originally, these roses were planted and lovingly maintained by the families whose loved ones were buried at Evergreen and Fairview Cemeteries. Sadly, as generations passed and families moved on, there was no one left to care for the roses. With the grounds becoming increasingly difficult to maintain, more than 800 rose trellises were removed in the 1970s. Because the roses were considered personal property, they were not maintained by cemetery staff—a policy that is still in place today.
Today, only a handful of these historic roses remain. Evergreen Heritage is working to preserve and care for them. Last summer, over 185 remaining rose bushes were cataloged between Evergreen and Fairview Cemeteries. This summer, a small group of volunteers is continuing the work of pruning and maintaining the roses. We are currently seeking more volunteers to help care for these living artifacts of our city’s history.
Please note: Per city ordinance, no new rose bushes or other perennials may be planted in either city cemetery and new trellises are not allowed.
Learn More:
Between the Rows: The History of Harison’s Yellow Rose