In the 1929 "Hardy Roses for South Dakota", N.E. Hansen lists 'Conrad Ferdinand Meyer' among many rugosa hybrids that were hardy in the State Rose Garden in Sioux Falls. (I can't find anything to suggest the garden is still there -- could somebody from South Dakota correct me? -- but the site is described as harsh: "located on high land, with no shelter belt and exposed on all sides to the full windsweep. It would be hard to find a more severe test than on this stony, sandy hill.") While Sioux Falls is now classified as 4b, I suggest that 'Conrad Ferdinand Meyer' is likely hardy to 4a...
Journal des Roses (May 1902) p. 67 Conrad Ferdinand Meyer Cette variété est un semis provenant du croisement de Gloire de Dijon, avec Duc de Rohan, pour la ligne maternelle et pour la ligne paternelle Rugosa Germanica (qui est un résultat du pur hasard ou plutót un accident fixé d'un semis de Kaiserin du Nord de 1887.
Rosen-Zeitung (Dez. 1901) Conrad Ferdinand Meyer Herr Dr. Müller, welcher uns ja schon mehrere wertvolle Rosen gezüchtet hat, besass diesen Sämling schon seit 1893. Ueber die Abstammung schreibt uns der Züchter Folgendes. "Mütterlicherseits stammt diese Rose von einem Sämling (Gloire de Dijon x Duc de Rohan) aus dem ersten Jahre meiner Versuche; väterlicherseits von Rugosa Germanica (einem Zufalls-Sämling von Kaiserin des Nordens aus dem Jahre 1887). Alles andere ist Ihnen ja bekannt."
(In this note, Dr. Müller himself stated that Rugosa Germanica was the pollen parent.)
Formed HUGE bush, easily 7 to 9 feet tall column of thorns and healthy leaves, with impressive blooms on the top in Snug Harbor. Very nice smell, but the thorns were intimidating. Inherited rugosa tolerance for our conditions.
