The American Rose Society is primarily an educational institution, and the Consulting Rosarian program is an important element in helping the Society carry out its educational mission.

In the early days of the transition of the American Rose Society from an organization of nurserymen to a society serving the general public, Dr. Robert Huey conceived the idea of providing a bureau of information for rose growers. In 1920, this group was formalized as 32 past presidents of ARS, hybridizers, nurserymen, scholars, and other noteworthy rosarians were designated “Consulting Rosarians,” and the CR program was born. In 1949, the ARS Board of Directors greatly broadened the scope of the service by deciding that Consulting Rosarians would be appointed by each district, following guidelines approved by the board. This made the knowledge of CRs available nationwide. To ensure further that Consulting Rosarians were well qualified, in 1996 a system of CR schools and exams, run by the districts, was established. In 2024, educational outreach was further expanded through the development of the ARS Rose Forum, providing an online source for Consulting Rosarians to share rose knowledge with all rose gardeners.

FORMS