Secateurs

A European word for bypass pruners.

Seed Parent

The female parent of a hybrid rose that receives the pollen.

Semi-Double Rose

A rose form of 12 to 24 petals.

Shade rose

The unicorn of the rose world. To reach their maximum beauty, all roses need 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight throughout the growing season. Roses described as being "shade tolerant" can be grown in open shade. No roses will do well if planted in deep shade.

Shank

The straight portion of rose bush between the canes and roots.

Shrub rose

1. (unofficial) Any rose that presents its blooms close to the foliage and is well suited for unattended use in the landscape, 2. (official) Any rose that generally does not fit in another rose classification.

Single rose

A rose comprised of a single ring of petals, generally numbering 5 to 12 petals.

Species Rose

A native (wild) rose that will reproduce true from seed. In botanical nomenclature, species roses will start with the word Rosa followed by a word that often ends in "a" (Rosa rubrifolia) or "ii" (Rosa mulliganfi). Relative to the tens of thousands of roses that have been hybridized, there are only a few hundred species roses.

Sport

1. A spontaneous mutation that generates a new rose. Climbing roses are sports of bush roses (see Climbing Rose). Other common sports include changes in color and petal count. Some sports are stable and can lead to the introduction of a new rose. Others are fleeting and will quickly revert back to the parent. 2. (Good Sport) How you describe your husband after he has dug a new flock of holes for the annual expansion of your rose garden.

Spray (aka inflorescense)

The presentation of blooms in clusters that originate at a single stem.

Spreader-sticker

An additive for sprays that increases their effectiveness by enabling the drops to flow more evenly across the foliage and to stay in place.

Stamon

The male portion of a flower's reproductive system, comprised of a filament that holds the anther (pollen pad) aloft. The beauty of Single Roses is often due to the contrast of the stamens against the petals.