Hybrid Musk Shrub Rose 'Prosperity': Pemberton's 1919 Abundance

Introduced in 1919 by J. Pemberton, 'Prosperity' is a hybrid musk shrub rose that lives up to its name—producing an abundance of small, double, creamy-white flowers in massive panicles that weigh down the arching canes.

Botanical Profile

The flowers are small, 1.5-2 inches, but produced in such quantities that the plant becomes a fountain of white. The fragrance is the classic musk scent—sweet, honeyed, and carried on the air. The plant is a large, graceful shrub 6-8 feet tall and wide, or easily trained as a climber. The foliage is smooth, dark green, healthy. Reverend Joseph Pemberton, an Anglican clergyman, developed the hybrid musk class in the early 1900s, crossing Rosa moschata with Chinas and Teas. 'Prosperity' is one of his masterpieces—a rose that gives and gives, a floral cornucopia. Plant it where the fragrance can drift on summer evenings.