There are over 100 known species of rose. Once native to Europe, North America, Central Asia, and North Africa, it is now grown throughout the world in countless cultivars, making it impossible to know exactly how many different types of roses exist today. Besides its beauty, fragrance, and mystical allure, rose was also valued for its medicinal properties. The Greeks drank a rose wine as a tonic and Pliny lists thirty-two different medicines prepared with roses. In the 16th Century, distillation techniques were developed in Persia to extract the pure essential oils and these were also quickly adopted in medicinal practices. The species most used for medicine are R. damascena, R. centifolia, R. gallica, and wild roses, such as R. canina and R. virginiana. Come join us in learning about this beautiful medicinal ally. In this issue you will find these articles: Rose Materia Medica Rose Absolute Rose Flower Essence Rose Tea Rose Medicine Rose Vinegar Roses Four Ways Rose Arts & Crafts Rose Facial Cream The Many Ways of Giving Thanks