If Selma had an official flower, it would be the Lady Banksia Rose. These dainty blossoms have no thorns and bloom prolifically in early April. Here, they flourish at the municipal complex and are most everywhere else one goes in town.
Selma's Legend of the Lady Banksia...One hundred forty-two years ago today, much of Selma was looted and burned in one of the last battles of the Civil War. The Rev. Arthur Small, young pastor of the Presbyterian Church, was among 2,000 volunteer defenders, but he went ahead and preached his sermon before Union troops arrived. That sermon was to be his last. He died in battle, and when his body was laid upon the steps of the church manse, it is said that the Lady Banksia rosebush nearby cried its petals upon the beloved pastor's body. Small is buried in Old Live Oak Cemetery.
5 comments:
These roses are absolutely beautiful - it must be lovely to walk through the city in April and see them blooming everywhere. And we posted about roses today too!
A lovely story to go with the photograph!
Love the story and love the rose. I have several growing in my garden. I've always loved species roses the best. They grow and tumble and actually don't like to be cut - apparently.
Jilly x
The Lady Banksia is the only rose I have in my yard. I like it because it doesn't have thorns and must be rather hardy since I haven't killed it yet!
What a gorgeous profusion of yellow!
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