Sweetest Odours and Perfumed Tincture

Roses grew everywhere in England during Shakespeare’s lifetime and increased in popularity as the 16^th century wore on. Imported roses with stronger perfumes than native varieties made production of rosewater and rose oil easier and were used both in health cures and in perfumery.

Rosa Gallica (rosa gallica x 'officinalis') was famous for its red colour. Native to central and southern Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus, it could be found in a ‘wild’ state, but it also readily cross-bred with rosa canina and rosa arvensis. It was commonly known as the ‘apothecary’s rose’ as it was used for medicinal purposes. Mostly taken as an infusion of shredded rose petals soaked in clarified honey, it is thought to be Gerard’s ‘rosa rubra’.

The damask rose (rosa xdamascena) was domesticated in England in the 16th century, becoming spectacularly popular for several reasons. Firstly, it was the only repeat flowering rose until the appearance of Chinese varieties in the 18^th century. Sometimes, according to Gerard, damasks flowered ‘from the end of May to the end of August, diverse times … even until October, and after’. Secondly, distillation of its petals produced rose oil, which was used in perfumery. Thirdly, an English translation of Hieronymus Brunschwig’s book A Virtuous Book of Distillation (1527) led to expanding knowledge of how to create essential oils, which encouraged further interest in roses with strong scent. In Twelfth Night, Viola speaks of a ‘damask cheek’ – one of many times that Shakespeare used the word to mean blush-coloured.

John Gerard’s Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes (London, 1597). © Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.