Who doesn't love an All-American red rose? Or is it?
The Legends rose, bred in the United States, is derived from several roses bred by the renowned French rose growing Meilland family, previously discussed in this article a few years ago. Those roses include Pharoah, Happiness, and Amalia. Interestingly, as you look further up the family tree of some of these French roses, you will find roses from other places such as the Netherlands. It's kind of like people. What constitutes a "French" person versus a "Dutch" person? At what point are they allowed to call themselves as such? Here in the United States, you can call yourself an American practically right away. Yet, Americans would not necessarily have that same courtesy if they tried to become part of a culture elsewhere.
For example, an American who was born and raised in the United States with fully French grandparents may have a more difficult time being considered French if they applied for citizenship in France. I hear the same thing happens when people from Québec (with fully French roots) go to France, and they are told they will never be French. True, the North American experience does seem to change a person. Does that mean that a truly French rose, like the Rosa gallica, would be less French after its forebears lived in Québec for a few centuries? Yet, wait, the Rosa gallica actually has origins in Turkey and surrounding areas. Shall we stop calling it a French rose?