Miraculous Survivor Rose from Hurricane Katrima Named After Louisiana Woman: The Unique Peggy Martin Rose Story

Located at the Mississippi River’s mouth, Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana is renowned for its seafood, offshore oil, and a remarkable climbing rose bush. Known for its vibrant pink blooms every spring, the origin of this resilient plant remains undiscovered.

The rose was gifted to Peggy Martin, a resident of Phoenix, Louisiana, 16 years before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. The catastrophic storm left an estimated $125 billion worth of damage in its wake.

Martin received the rose from her friend, who claimed to have inherited it from her mother-in-law. Despite extensive research and travel efforts, the rose’s history beyond this point remains a mystery. Martin once told CNN, “It’s probably from the 1800s. And I think it originated in Europe. But we can’t find out … positively.”

After Katrina, interest in the rose peaked when it was discovered that the plant likely survived while submerged underwater for an undetermined period. Among Martin’s 450 antique roses, this was the only one to make it through the hurricane.

Dr. William C. Welch, professor emeritus at Texas A&M University and author of several books on antique roses and heirloom gardening, examined the rose during a visit to New Orleans in 2003. Unable to identify it, he took cuttings and grew it on his property before becoming involved in its post-Katrina story.

The plant’s miraculous survival may seem as enigmatic as its ancestry. According to Dr. Greg Grant, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist, the plant’s tough genetics are likely responsible for its survival.

Modern roses were developed in 1867 with the creation of the first hybrid tea. These varieties are often perceived as fussy and require constant attention. However, Mike Shoup, president of the Heritage Rose Foundation, notes that this reputation is a result of breeding practices aimed at producing perfect flowers.

Shoup argues that when considering the entire rose species, it is extremely hardy. It has endured numerous pests and issues throughout history while still being considered man’s favorite flower.

Following Katrina, Martin’s garden was tested, revealing that her many rose plants had weathered the storm remarkably well. The storm made landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana, with winds exceeding 100 miles per hour according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Climatic Data Center.

Martin and her husband, MJ, were no strangers to evacuation during hurricanes. But Katrina was unprecedented in its destruction. Returning to Phoenix was impossible due to extensive flooding.

“In Phoenix, they had about 16 to 20 feet (5 to 6 meters) of standing water,” said Ken Dugas, Plaquemines parish engineer. The water breached the levees designed to protect the area from flooding and filled it like a bowl. Martin’s parents, who lived next to her and chose not to evacuate, died during the storm.

Three weeks after Katrina, Martin and her husband were able to return and assess the damage to their property. They found “black sticks and gray ash.” Everything they owned was lost, but one green cane hanging off a tractor shed caught Martin’s eye – the only thing in her garden that survived, aside from a few dormant daffodil and Crinum lily bulbs.

Dr. Charles Shi, a botanical horticulturalist specializing in wild roses at Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, believes the sturdy plant is likely an heirloom rambler with broad climatic tolerance. The rose is not a modern hybrid tea rose but closer in character to old climbing roses and hardy species relatives, making it incredibly durable.

Shi hasn’t studied Martin’s rose but believes it has “an amount” of Rosa banksiae in its genes, referring to a species collected from China in the early 1800s and brought to Kew. Rosa banksiae is now a yellow climbing rose popular among gardeners.

Three traits could have contributed to the rose’s ability to survive Katrina: rugged nature, low-oxygen metabolism that allows it to rely on stored reserves of sugars, an ability to cope with salt stress from being inundated with seawater, and rapid regeneration through resprouting buds and forming roots from existing stems.

The exact number of days the rose remained submerged is uncertain, ranging from two weeks to a month after Katrina. The deluge likely included a mix of rain, storm surge from the nearby ocean, and water from the wetlands.

For Martin, the rose’s survival holds personal significance. “In my heart, I think that my mom and dad wanted to leave something to me,” she said.

When news of the rose’s survival reached Welch, he decided to support a restoration fund established by The Garden Club of America. He worked with gardeners and local nurseries to propagate and sell the plant, eventually giving it the name Peggy Martin Rose.

The resilient Peggy Martin Rose gained popularity quickly, leading to numerous book appearances, speaking engagements, and a children’s book. There is even a hashtag – #ShowUsYourPeggy – where owners share photos of their blooms.

Shoup founded the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, Texas, one of the first nurseries to sell the Peggy Martin Rose. He considers it an excellent beginner’s rose, as anyone buying it from his store was guaranteed success. The Peggy Martin Rose became a staple in gardens and a symbol of strength and resilience.