Tombstone, Home Of The World’s Largest Rose Tree

Did you know Tombstone, Arizona, is home to the largest rose tree in the world!? This tree's trunk has a circumference of over 13 feet, and is over 9 feet tall, according to the Guinness Book of World Records

Where did the world's largest rose tree come from, and how did it grow to the massive size it is today?

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History

The story of this rose tree starts in 1884, making it over 140 years old. The family who planted the rose, Marty and Henry Gee, were from Scotland. Upon moving into their home in Tombstone, Arizona, Mary's family back home sent her flowers of all kinds, but most importantly, the bulb of a rose tree she planted as a child.

Mary and her friend Amelia planted the rose tree in the back patio of the boarding house. Surprisingly, the Scottish rose tree took off, despite Arizona's unusual climate.

In 1920, the property was purchased, and the rose tree had already become extremely large. The rose tree continued to grow, and it attracted a great deal of attention. In 1933, it was called "the world's largest rose tree" in a newspaper column.

Over the course of the last 100 years, the tree has been taken care of by a variety of families and continues to grow to this day. In 1964, a museum was opened in its honor, where you can go and visit this wonderful rose tree.

READ: San Rafael Valley's Endangered Species Face Threats From Border Wall

Modern Celebrations

Every year, the TombstoneVigilantess host a Rose Festival. This festival happens every March and consists of several activities. It starts on Friday when a student from Tombstone High School is crowned the Rose Queen. The rest of the weekend consists of fashion, parades, pancake breakfasts, and an old-fashioned lunch box auction.

Money raised by the annual Rose Festival has funded scholarships for students in the Tombstone Unified School District and other charities supported by the Tombstone Vigilantes. The celebration is only one weekend, but it is a reminder of the great history of Tombstone. It wasn't only gunslingers and cowboys in that town.

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Tombstone may be known for its tough exterior, but it has a soft side to its history. A historic rose bush, taken care of and loved by many families. It now covers roughly 9000 square feet of land and is the center for an annual festival. What do you think? Is this historic museum and tree worth seeing for yourself?

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