The Van Fleet Roses

If Watsontown had a town flower, it would be the Van Fleet Rose.  Dr. Walter Van Fleet, raised in Watsontown, was the first to hold a patent on a plant in the United States. He's famous for his work with plants, including his roses, which can be found not only in many backyards in Watsontown, but in gardens such as  Longwood ant at the Hearst Mansion.

  Twenty-nine rose cultivars were introduced by Van Fleet between 1889 and 1922.
In 1923, the Dr W. Van Fleet rose was the most popular climbing rose in America.  As if that were not enough, he led a fascinating life - studying at Harvard,  traveling to Brazil to work on the (failed) Collins expedition, becoming a doctor & surgeon, living for several years in a socialist utopian community....  all while working as the horticultural editor for the Rural New Yorker.

Dr Walter Van Fleet came to Watsontown as very young boy, while his father was principal of the Watsontown Academy (Later the Poor House).    Walter was an avid reader, and especially interested in natural sciences. He moved to Boston to study Natural History, and to collect specimens for Harvard University.  At just 18 years of age, he was published in the first issue of the first scholastic ornithological journal in American history


In 1878, The Collins Brothers, who had built most of the railroads in Pennsylvania, were contracted to build a railroad from Brazil to Bolivia.  The majority of the workers for the project were hired from Northumberland County, including young Walter.  Nearly 20 years old, he seized the opportunity to join the expedition, hoping to study tropical plants and birds.  

The Collins expedition was disastrous.  The men were not accustomed to the jungle, and found it near impossible to make any progress cutting their way through.  Supplies and food were lacking, and the men were sieged by insects day and night.  More than 200 of the original 900 workers died.  At the end of their six month contract, Van Fleet and ten other workers purchased a boat and made a 700 mile trip down the  Amazon and  Madeira, rivers.From there they took  a steamboat to Para, only to learn that the Collins brothers had no money to pay their wages.  The American Consulate found a place for the men to stay, but they had no money and had to beg for food.  Eventually the men sold some tropical wood, and raised enough money for their trip home.

The Van Fleet Silvermoon

At some point during this time, Van Fleet had became ill.  A local family had taken pity on him and took him to a specialist.   This inspired him to become a doctor himself and when he returned home he enrolled in medical school, opening a medical practice in Watsontown.  After completing his post graduate work, he set up practice in Renovo.  

But he never lost his love of plants, and in addition to his medical practice, he the horticultural l editor for the Rural New Yorker.   In 1891 he Dr  Va nFleet left his medical practice to dedicate himself full time to  the breeding  of plants.

In 1894, Indiana newspaperman Julius Augustus Wayland founded a Socialist Utopian  Colony and used his socialist weekly, The Coming Nation, to raise both support and money for the project.   These Utopian colonies became popular around the turn of the century.   One could join the Wayland colony by purchasing a share and demonstrating a commitment to cooperative living. Colonists contributed to farming, cooking, and printing The Coming Nation, and in exchange  enjoyed free education and medical care, an extensive library, frequent lectures, music, and a communal theater.  Dr Van Fleet joined as the colony as one of three doctors.

 Wayland left his colony after only a year. By 1899  financial disputes, as well as a division over "free love" between the members, brought an end to the Ruskin Colony.  (Considered the most successful of the socialist colonies of the time, it survived just  5 years).  In 1900, Van Fleet and Kemp, another Ruskin member, had moved to Georgia and formed a sort of community among themselves, but they admitted that to be truly successful, the colony needed to be on  a much larger scale. At the time, Mrs Kemp and Mrs Van Fleet were hopeful to return to the colony soon, and Mrs Van Fleet said that her time at Ruskin was the happiest time of her life.

Van Fleet's "John Ruskin" Rose

While at the Ruskin Colony, Dr Van Fleet continued as an editor on the Rural New Yorker, and in addition, spent time propagating plants.  It was here that his first rose, the Daybreak,  was successfully crossbred.  Later Van Fleet named one of his roses the John Ruskin.

By 1905, the Van Fleets were living in Maryland, and Dr Van Fleet took a job for the USDA as a plant breeder.    In  1909 he  was appointed Physiologist in the Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.  He continued in that position  until his death on January 26, 1922 

Dr Van Fleet had received the fit American patent for a plant.  He was awarded the George Robert White Medal of Honor by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

 In 1921, ‘Mary Wallace’ (named after then Secretary of Agriculture Henry C. Wallace’s daughter) was released. Seven years later, it was voted the number one rose in the American Rose 

Van Fleets American Pillar Roses, At Longwood Gardens

His flowers held placed of honor at the Hearst Mansion, Longwoood Gardens, and the DuPont estate.  

 Twenty-nine rose cultivars were introduced by Van Fleet between 1889 and 1922.
In 1923, the Dr W. Van Fleet rose was the most popular climbing rose in America.

Dr Walter Van Fleet, Watsontown Native
Famous Rosarian
1857-1922
Owned a home on  506 Main Street, Watsontown Pa

• Van Fleets roses bloom only once, in the month of June, but they are very winter hardy and disease resistant.
• His three most successful  plants are the Roses American Pillar, Silver Moon, and W. Van Fleet.
• The New Dawn rose is a naturally occurring mutation of the Dr. W. Van Fleet.  It appears identical to the Dr Van Fleet, but  blooms repeatedly through summer and fall.
• In American Rose Magazine, 1922, There are 14 pages dedicated to testimonials regarding Dr Van Fleet.  
• The Van Fleets  buried at Watsontown Cemetery.

The Van Fleet Rose
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The Story Of The Van Fleet Rose
As told by Dr Van Fleet to David Fairchild

In the early 90's the Doctor and his wife were attracted to the remarkable colony at Ruskin Tenn,  to which came such men as the Russian Prince Kropotkin and the famous journalist Arthur Brisbane.  It was here that the rose later named for the Doctor was originated

 He had taken South along with a host of other seedlings a weakly little plant which itself was a typical Wichuraiana resulting from a cross with the Safrano rose a well known old fashioned Tea.  Using this seedling as the female parent he worked upon it pollen from the French Hybrid Tea Souv du President Carnot.  

 But three or four heps matured and these he took with him when his medical service at Ruskin terminated, back to Little Silver NJ,  where he later sowed the few sound seeds they contained.   Of these seeds but a few germinated and grew.   This was in the fall of 1899 and in 1901 the seedlings bloomed .  Among about 150 others in bloom at the same time this particular rose showed at once its remarkable freshness of color and unusual bud character.   Mrs Van Fleet and the Doctor agreed to name it Daybreak.

 Then Patrick O Mara of the firm of Peter Henderson & Co visited the gardens and he said when he saw in bloom the few plants of Daybreak that the Doctor had propagated.   We've got to have that at once,  though he criticized its seeming lack of vigor.   The Doctor accepted O Mara's offer carrying the right to name the new rose and fully control its sale and he was paid $75,  although at that time he thought it should have been worth $250. 

 As was his custom Dr Van Fleet retained a plant for himself a very fortunate thing.   The several precious plants of this Daybreak were delivered in the fall to Mr O Mara and the latter was told to start its propagation slowly in a coolhouse but this was not done.   The gardeners of the firm put the plants in a hothouse and forced them into bloom.   The blooms were flimsy and did not impress the other members of the Henderson firm.   O Mara said It looked devilish good to me but it doesn't hold up.  

 Here the Doctor took up the story in his own words.  The plants were taken out of the greenhouse and sent to Charles Henderson's place at Hackensack and planted there in their tender condition.   Bitter weather came along and killed every one of them but I was not told.   I waited five or six years for the firm to bring it out It was due to come out in 1906 but it did not come.   O Mara came to Little Silver for other things but said little about Daybreak.  My own plant in the meantime had grown into a beautiful bush with a big root system and I had made a propagation or two to make it safe.   When the 1906 Henderson catalogue came out and Daybreak was not in it I wrote to O Mara and he then told me he had lost it all.   I told him that wouldn't do that I had stock and that it was the finest thing I had.   I told him the public was entitled to it and that if he wouldn't put it out I would.   He said Bring some up and show it to Charles Henderson.   It was in good bloom then and I brought up to New York an armful of it and also an armful of the Silver Moon with its long stemmed flowers.

 O Mara was delighted when he saw these and said, Business or no business we ll go right in and see Mr Henderson.  The latter gentleman said at once We have had no such novelties as these for years.   They are revelations we want both of them.   They both liked the Van Fleet best because a pink rose is a better seller.   Henderson said I ll pay the Doctor anything he asks for Daybreak and this white rose.   They sent their propagator right down and took the bud wood I asked him $100 for it.   Then the roses disappeared from view for three or four years or until 1910 when the Henderson catalogue featured both of them.   They had coined for the white rose the name of Silver Moon, a very happy name. 

  Patrick O Mara wrote that Charles Henderson was going to name the other rose after me.  I objected and asked him to continue to call it Daybreak but O Mara insisted and thus it was finally named Dr W Van Fleet. 

 I give here this account of the first beginnings of these two great roses for two reasons; first because as the years pass and the Van Fleet becomes perhaps the best known as well as the finest climber in America some, of its admirers will want to know how it began, and second,  also because it shows how strong were the good Doctor's convictions regarding the suitability of a newly made hybrid rose and how persistently he fought for its recognition by the public .

How to Plant Rose Seed Beds, According To Dr Van Fleet
as recounted by Miss Carrie Henderson

While walking one day with Dr Van Fleet through the trial rows at Bell in the autumn of 1920 I casually picked some of the beautiful rose heps.  At this the Doctor began collecting them with great discrimination and now and again gave me a handful until my pockets were full. When he came to his seed bed where there were several rows of roses from two to eight inches high he stooped took up a handful of dirt to show me the bed was made of sand and good loose soil just like any right seed bed and then breaking up a handful of heps and making a little row with his finger he put the rose seeds down just like any seeds covering them about twice as deep as his thumb nail.   He said You can see them better if in rows . One can lay a narrow board over the row until early spring to remember the line When they are two or three inches high I transplant into my nursery for young plants.  I distributed these precious heps among my friends and as a result Mrs Gamble has about five hundred young plants doing well. These she has distributed through a bit of woodland.  Dr Van Fleet told me once Don t break up your rose seed bed for seven years as they will be coming along all that time.

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The Van Fleets Talk About Their Time At Ruskin

1900