Loretta Lynn’s Apricot Rose Lives On

By Jill Brooke

Loretta Lynn, who has a special autumn peach rose named after her, died at 90. 

A symbol of rural resilience, the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and rose lover was admired for her songwriting and vocal skills, influencing generations. Jack White, the singer and guitarist of the White Stripes, produced Lynn’s Grammy-winning album “Van Lear Rose,” which is why the rose was named after in 2010. 

As Lynn said at the time, “roses have always been so special to me. I’ve loved them since I was a girl. So to have a rose named after one of my albums, well, I’m just very very honored.”

Not only did she write a song inspired by flowers during her career called “Paper Roses” but also   “Wildwood Flower”  where the lyrics introduce her love of roses.

Oh, I’ll twine with my mingles and waving black hair
With the roses so red and the lilies so fair
And the myrtle so bright with the emerald dew
The pale and the leader and eyes look like blue…

She was also known for her raw honesty in her songs, including “Don’t Come Home a-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” “Your Squaw Is on the Warpath,” “Fist City” and “You Ain’t Woman Enough.”

As the Times reported, Lynn had her prime hit-making years from the 1960s into the 1980s, as the 1980 film “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” an adaptation of the 1976 book, made her life story public.

But her Van Lear Rose came later in 2010.  After all, flowers are never in a rush. They bloom when ready. And do offer a little piece of immortality. As do her songs.

The Loretta Lynn Van Lear Rose is an ever-blooming floribunda known for its deep, rich apricot color. According to selectroses.ca, its buds open into a cottage-style flower, and the shrub grows to about two feet tall and wide, an ideal size for most gardens and large containers. Also wonderful for borders.

As Brad Jaibert from Select Roses shared, it is a special rose. In fact, according to the American Rose Society, the rose is included in the Biltmore® Garden Rose Collection. It has a very compact plant habit, and produces flowers on short tight stems, giving it a beautifully rounded plant habit. The fragrance is a blend of tea rose with fruity undertones.

Always a nice way to remember her – or anyone you love. Some hope the rose will be revived and become popular again.

Jill Brooke is a former CNN correspondent, Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is an author and the editorial director of FPD,  floral editor for Aspire Design and Home magazine and contributor to Florists Review magazine.