Renowned rose expert William Welch from Texas A&M University was already aware of—and impressed by—the rose. Before the storm, he’d taken cuttings from Peggy and got her roses to root. “Then, all of a sudden, Katrina comes along, and it becomes apparent that this rose is even more remarkable than he thought,” says King.
Welch named the rose after Peggy, and sales of its cuttings and offspring went toward a Garden Club of America restoration fund for gardens that were ruined in the hurricane. It was later recognized by the horticulture industry as a Louisiana Super Plant for its ability to survive harsh conditions.
The combination of its hardiness, its mysterious provenance, and Peggy’s story made it a sought after flower among gardeners.
“I can point you to a number of fantastic roses, and people don’t beat the door down for the other roses like they do for this one,” says King. “It’s impossible not to think of [Peggy], and all those people who lost so much, and yet they came through it.”
Despite the rose’s incredible resilience, not much formal scientific testing has been done.