This plant rose from obscurity to fame in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Also known as the "Katrina Rose", the plant was discovered to be alive after being under up to 20 feet of saltwater for two weeks in the yard of gardener Peggy Martin. Peggy originally grew it from cuttings taken off an obscure unidentified plant in a small rural cemetery.

When word got out about the plant's miraculous toughness, Texas A&M horticulturist Dr. Bill Welch took cuttings of Peggy's hardy rose and began sharing them among the nursery community. He dubbed it the "Peggy Martin Rose."

The plant is thornless and is an extremely vigorous grower. It produces an abundance of small scentless pink flowers in the spring, followed by sporadic smaller flushes through summer and fall. To give you an idea of how quickly this plant can establish itself, the picture above is a Walker County Master Gardener posing in front of a trellis containing a pair of plants planted just 18 months before!

These roses generally sell out quickly, so grab yours now and get in on the fun!