How to Identify Inherited Traits on a Rose

Roses, like all other living things, share certain traits with their parents. They have both recessive and dominant traits. Recessive traits show up only if both parent roses contained those traits, while dominant traits show up with only one parent carrier. A third variety of traits is neither dominant nor recessive, but combines with similar traits to create an entirely new characteristic. As your roses grow and flourish, you can determine which first-generation roses pollinated the second generation with a traits chart.

Things You'll Need

1.5-inch grid paper
Pen

Roses
Magnifying glass

Instructions

- 1
  Write down the following characteristics across the top of your grid paper, placing each trait in one grid square: color, bloom size, leaf size, leaf shape and thorns.
- 2
  Record all the data for your first generation of roses. If you have several colors next to each other, note their locations. This helps you predict what colors the second generation may be. Leaf shape includes vein arrangement and whether they're long and thin or short and fat.
- 3
  Allow your roses to pollinate with the wind and insects and go to seed. Keep your trait records somewhere you can find them during the next blooming season.
- 4
  Examine the second generation of roses, recording the same traits as the first generation. Examine the leaves and stems with a magnifying glass so you can see the exact shape of the leaves and whether or not the stems have thorns or thorn buds.
- 5
  Wait another season and record the traits of the third-generation roses. Here, you'll be able to tell which traits are dominant, recessive and neutral. For instance, if you planted red and white roses together and only got pink and red in the second generation, the third may have white in it again.

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