About the name
Name. 'Hansa' comes from the name of the nursery 'Hansa Nursery' (Schaum & Van Tol) in Boskoop, the Netherlands. 'Hansa' (German Hanse) was the historic trading league of the cities of Northern Europe, XIII–XVII centuries (Lübeck, Hamburg, Bremen, Rostock, Gdańsk, Riga, Tallinn and others); the name was popular in Dutch and German commercial brands of the early twentieth century. In Slavic languages the variety is read as 'Hansa'.
Breeding. Bred by the Dutch nursery Schaum & Van Tol in Boskoop (the centre of the Dutch nursery business since the seventeenth century), in 1905. It belongs to the Hybrid Rugosa group: hybrids of the classic Japanese rose Rosa rugosa with European garden roses of the late nineteenth century. The parentage is not published, which was standard practice for commercial breeders of that time.
Significance. One of the hardiest Rugosa-varieties in the world, with more than 120 years in the commercial catalogue without a break. The earlier working notes contained a hypothesis about an RHS AGM, which is not confirmed in the current RHS list. Confirmed award: 'Great Selection of Plants' 2007 (Boskoop), a Dutch trade recognition. USDA 3 — hardiness is practically unrated; legendary in Canada (planted along highways as a decorative hedge), Scandinavia and northern Japan. The scent of Hansa is the benchmark of the classic 'old rose', which twentieth-century perfumers used to recreate the 'rose in grandmother's garden'. The rose hips are large and sweet, traditionally used for tea and jam (vitamin C).