美国月季（玫瑰）协会 – 美国历史最悠久的单一植物类园艺协会

协会沿革与组织定位

美国月季（玫瑰）协会（American Rose Society，简称 ARS）成立于 1892 年，是美国历史最悠久的单一植物类园艺协会，也是致力于月季栽培、保育与鉴赏的教育性非营利组织。协会总部位于路易斯安那州 Shreveport 市 Jefferson Paige 路 8877 号（8877 Jefferson Paige Rd, Shreveport, LA 71119），目前在美国 50 个州拥有超过 1.4 万名会员，下设 200 余家全国联属的地方月季协会，共同通过教育课程、出版物、持续科研和月季展活动推动月季文化传播。

总部园区与”美国玫瑰中心”

协会总部所在地即著名的”美国玫瑰中心”（American Rose Center / America’s Rose Garden），占地约 118 英亩，园区内设有数千株月季的国际月季试验花园（International Rose Trials）以及全美规模最大的蔓性月季（Rambler Roses）专类收藏。园中既包括现代月季品种，也保留了 19 世纪以来的古典月季老品种，访客可在不同季节观赏到攀援、丰花、杂交茶香、灌木与微型等各类月季。园区同时承接婚庆、社团活动与”圣诞节在玫瑰之乡”（Christmas in Roseland）大型灯展等社区活动，是协会开展公众教育与筹款的核心场所。

教育、研究与会员服务

协会通过《美国月季》（American Rose）双月刊、《月季品种选购手册》（Handbook for Selecting Roses，对约 3000 个品种给出权威评价）、月度免费教育研讨会（Webinar）、咨询月季师（Consulting Rosarians）计划以及会员专属的 Rose Forum 论坛，为家庭园艺爱好者与专业育种者提供系统支持。会员还可凭 ARS 身份通过美国园艺协会（AHS）”Reciprocal Garden”项目，享受全美 350 余家植物园的免费或优惠入园权益，并与 17 家月季种苗及用品商家（如 Edmunds’ Roses 15%、David Austin Roses 10%、Heirloom Roses 15%、Jackson & Perkins 20% 等）享受长期折扣。

国际月季注册权威与社区活动

1955 年经国际园艺大会（International Horticulture Congress）批准，ARS 被指定为”国际月季注册权威”（International Registration Authority for Roses, IRAR），负责全球新培育月季品种的官方登记、唯一代码命名（Breeder Code）与商品名称授权，是国际月季命名体系的核心机构。除学术与命名职能外，协会每年组织全国月季展（National Rose Show）、地区性月季竞赛、月季摄影与月季花艺比赛，并制定相应评审规则与时间表；其地方分会网络也为初学者提供从扦插、修剪、防病到杂交育种的实操课程。

官网：https://www.rose.org/

Heritage and Organizational Mission

The American Rose Society (ARS), founded in 1892, is the oldest single-plant horticultural society in the United States and a not-for-profit educational organization devoted to the cultivation, preservation, and appreciation of roses. Headquartered at 8877 Jefferson Paige Road, Shreveport, Louisiana, ARS represents more than 14,000 members across all 50 states and coordinates a network of over 200 nationally affiliated local rose societies. Through education programs, publications, research, and rose shows, the Society works to promote the culture of the rose and improve its standard of excellence.

Headquarters and the American Rose Center

The Society’s home is the American Rose Center (also known as America’s Rose Garden), an approximately 118-acre garden complex in Shreveport that includes thousands of roses, an International Rose Trial garden, and the largest collection of Rambler Roses in the United States. The garden features both modern and heritage varieties, showcasing climbers, floribundas, hybrid teas, shrub roses, miniatures, and old garden roses throughout the growing season. The grounds also host weddings, community events, and “Christmas in Roseland,” ARS’s signature holiday light display and largest annual fundraiser.

Education, Research, and Member Services

Members receive six issues per year of the award-winning American Rose magazine, the Handbook for Selecting Roses (with evaluations of roughly 3,000 commercial varieties), free monthly educational webinars, and access to the Consulting Rosarians program, which pairs beginners with expert rosarians. ARS membership also unlocks free or discounted admission to more than 350 botanical gardens across the United States through the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Garden program, plus ongoing discounts of 5–20% at seventeen partner nurseries and rose-supply merchants.

International Registration Authority and Community Programs

In 1955, the International Horticulture Congress designated ARS as the International Registration Authority for Roses (IRAR), making the Society the global custodian of new rose cultivar registration, breeder-code assignment, and generic-name authorization. In parallel, ARS organizes the National Rose Show and a full calendar of regional and district shows, photography contests, and arrangement competitions, and establishes the official rules and judging standards used throughout the United States. Its 200+ local societies provide hands-on education in pruning, propagation, disease management, and hybridizing for members at every level.