Rosa Lollypop was bred by W. Kordes and Sons of Germany in 2001 for the florist industry. This apricot hybrid tea, classified as an orange pink, produces stunning blooms. As a seedling of Rosas Dream x Peach Melba, this hard-to-find rose is fully double, its many petals beginning to quill as the blossom ages. It holds its classic form beautifully, making this a great garden rose growing on a well-formed, medium bush. And because each bloom opens atop long straight stems, she is also a contender for the show table.
Lollipops, (candy on a stick) probably date back thousands of years when cave people collected honey from beehives with a stick. Not wasting anything back then, they probably licked the stick, thus inventing the world’s first lollipop! In the 17th century, the English enjoyed boiled sugar candy treats, inserting sticks into them to make them easier to eat. During the Civil War era, hard candy was put on the tips of pencils for children to eat.
With the 20th century being the era of automation, the lollipop as we know it today began to take form. Several candy companies were creating hard candy on a stick, but it wasn’t until October of 1931 that George Smith, owner of a confectionary company called the Bradley Smith Company, took credit for inventing the modern version of the lollipop. He trademarked the term lollipop, borrowing the name from a famous race horse named Lolly Pop. According to linguists, the term ‘lolly pop’ means quite literally ‘tongue slap’. And so, Rosa Lollypop was chosen for October’s Rose of Month to commemorate the official trademark for “candy on a stick”!
