Legend of the Cherokee Rose

 

An 1882 issue of Gardeners' Monthly and Horticulturist magazine shared a story about the legend of the Cherokee Rose. I especially appreciate their wry skepticism over the origins of yet one more "Indian" legend:

Legend Of The Cherokee Rose.—The Christian Advocate tells the following story, which we record, as we usually do in such cases, more as a matter of news than as a genuine legend. It is a misfortune that there is no way by which a genuine legend can be distinguished from a newspaper lie; but for the credit of the newspaper name from which we quote, we will hope that there is such a legend afloat, and that the story was not expressly manufactured for its columns.

It may be remarked, in passing, that the origin of the Cherokee rose on this continent is enshrouded in mystery. It was found by Michaux in the South, but has never been found wild since his time. It is hardly believed to be a native rose, though by analogy with some other rare Southern plants, it might be. It has Asiatic relatives:

"The legend of the Cherokee rose is as pretty as the flower itself. An Indian chief of the Seminole tribe was taken prisoner by his enemies the Cherokees. and doomed to torture, but became so seriously ill that it became necessary to wait for the restoration to health before committing him to the fire. As he lay prostrated by disease in the cabin of the Cherokee warrior, the daughter of the latter, a young, dark-faced maid, was his nurse. She fell in love with the young chieftain, and wishing to save his life, urged him to escape; but he would not do so unless she would flee with him."

"Yet before she had gone far, impelled by soft regret at leaving home, she asked permission of her lover to return for the purpose of bearing away some memento of it. So, retracing her footsteps, she broke a sprig from the white rose which climbed up the poles of her father's tent, and preserving it during her flight through the wilderness, planted it by the door of her new home in the land of the Seminole. And from that day this beautiful flower has always been known between the capes of Florida and throughout the Southern States by the name of Cherokee rose."

Let's explain here that the Cherokee Rose, Rosa laevigata, is a white, fragrant rose native to southern China and Taiwan south to Laos and Vietnam. The species was introduced to the southeastern United States in about 1780, where it soon became naturalized (and even invasive). It is the state flower of Georgia.

The version published in 1882 was just one variant.  In White's 1855 publication, Historical Collections of Georgia, the story was only slightly different:

Once upon a time, a proud young chieftain of the Seminoles was taken prisoner by his enemies the Cherokees and doomed to death by torture; but he fell so seriously ill, that it became necessary to wait for his restoration to health before committing him to the flames.

As he was lying, prostrated by disease, in the cabin of a Cherokee warrior, the daughter of the latter, a dark-eyed maiden, became his nurse. She rivalled in grace the bounding fawn, and the young warriors of her tribe said of her that the smile of the Great Spirit was not more beautiful. Is it any wonder, then, though death stared the young Seminole in the face, he should be happy in her presence? Was it any wonder that each should love the other?

Stern hatred of the Seminoles had stifled every kindly feeling in the hearts of the Cherokees, and they grimly awaited the time when their enemy must die. As the color slowly returned to the cheeks of her lover and strength to his limbs, the dark-eyed maiden eagerly urged him to make his escape. How could she see him die? But he would not agree to seek safety in flight unless she went with him; lie could better endure death by torture than life without her.

She yielded to his pleading. At the midnight hour, silently they slipped into the dim forest, guided by the pale light of the silvery stars. Yet before they had gone far, impelled by soft regret at leaving her home forever, she asked her lover's permission to return for an instant that she might bear away some memento. So, retracing her footsteps, she broke a sprig from the glossy-leafed vine which climbed upon her father's cabin, and preserving it at her breast during her flight through the wilderness, planted it at the door of her home in the land of the Seminoles.

Here, its milk-white blossoms, with golden centers, often recalled her childhood days in the far-away mountains of Georgia; and from that time this beautiful flower has always been known, throughout the Southern States, as the Cherokee Rose.

In recent years, the legend has been recycled - or "appropriated" if you wish - to complement a certain narrative about the "Trail of Tears."   The National Park Service got in on the act by disseminating this version of the new and improved legend:

The Cherokee were driven from their homelands in North Carolina and Georgia over 100 years ago when gold was discovered on their lands; the journey, known as the "Trail of Tears”, was a terrible time for the people - many died from the hardships and the women wept. The old men knew the women must be strong to help the children survive so they called upon the Great One to help their people and to give the mothers strength. 

The Great One caused a plant to spring up everywhere a Mother's tears had fallen upon the ground on the journey. He told the old men that the plant would grow quickly, then fall back to the ground and another stem would grow. The plant would have white blossoms, a beautiful rose with five petals and gold in the center for the greed of the white man for the gold on their land. 

The leaves would have seven green leaflets, one for each Cherokee clan. The plant would be strong and grow quickly throughout the land all along the Trail of Tears. The stickers on the stem would protect it from those who might try to move it, as it spread to reclaim some of the lost Cherokee homeland. The next morning, the women saw the beautiful white blossoms far back on the trail. When they heard what the Great One had said they felt their strength returning and knew they would survive and the children would grow and the People would flourish in the new Cherokee Nation.

OK. Whatever. 

Back in the 19th century, the Cherokee Rose was a popular subject for poetry: 

THE CHEROKEE ROSE 

Come ripple your fleetest,
Oh rhymes that are meetest,
In praise of the sweetest
Wild blossom that blows.

Though tripping most lightly,
And pattering brightly,
Ye ne'er can sing rightly
The Cherokee rose.

The zephyr that kisses
Its petals hath blisses
That paradise misses
And seraph ne'er knows.

So charming its face is,
I long to change places
With bee that embraces
The Cherokee rose.

In sultry midsummer,
Who would not become a
Luxurious hummer
That merrily goes.

Defying the lances
That noonday advances,
To revel where dances
The Cherokee rose.

Shame on the brown thrushes
That pipe in the bushes!
My melodic gushes

Were sweeter than those—
If I could sit swinging
Where perfumes are winging
More worthy my singing

The Cherokee rose. 

- From Rhymes and Roses (1895), by Samuel Minturn Peck