Does the black rose exist or has it ever existed? In any case we can be sure that there has always been a search for the black rose, a search which still continues. Black is after all the colour of magic, of the darker side of life and is therefore irrefutably attractive. References to dark roses cropped up in the early European botanical literature. Their further evolution can be easily traced by rose drawings, from the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century. Later rose collections came into existence, rose collectors became famous and, from the end of the eighteenth century, rose gardeners received more and more recognition for their selections. This prestigious book, in a velvety soft cover brings the full story of the black rose, based on original research, from the oldest historical images to the most recent developments. A showpiece in the library of every rose lover! 120 colour illustrations