Of course many rose enthusiast are more lenient in this rule and include roses that were found in the 20th century based on their characteristics. Old and antique roses are more tolerant to weather extremes, insects, and disease. This is because they have survived years of subjection to extremes including drought, heat wave, hurricane, blizzard, and flood. In fact many went for years without care before they were found, surviving on old homesites and cemeteries. Besides the increased disease resistance one of the best features of old roses in my mind is the strong scent, which has not been diluted over the years as in modern roses.
Old roses are great plants for the landscape due to their clean foliage and full shape.
Roses are separated into several classes, some of which are explained in more detail below. Roses in this class are often found in nature growing in wild populations. These roses have excellent vigor and for the most part are disease resistant. Many in this class are very large in size and they are usually climbers. Species and related hybrids spend much of their energy producing great looking, healthy foliage, it is for this reason that most only bloom once per year in the Spring.