[3] DNA analysis has shown that a third species, Rosa fedtschenkoana, has made some genetic contributions to the Damask rose.

[1] The Damask rose is a deciduous shrub growing to 2.2 metres (7 ft 3 in) tall, the stems densely armed with stout, curved prickles and stiff bristles.

Recent genetic tests indicate that it is a hybrid of R. moschata x R. gallica crossed with the pollen of Rosa fedtschenkoana, which indicates a probable origin in the foothills of central Asia[7] or Iran.

[10] Although this latter claim is of dubious veracity as Linacre died in 1524, 16 years before the introduction of the rose to the royal garden took place.

[12] Nirad Chaudhuri, the Bengali writer, recalls that Hindus in East Bengal did not cultivate it because it was "looked upon as an Islamic flower".

[13] Rosa × damascena is optimally cultivated in hedge rows to help protect the blooms from wind damage and to facilitate harvesting them.

In Bulgaria, damask roses are grown in long hedges, while in Turkey, individual plants are spaced apart along trenches.

[14] Iran, Bulgaria and Turkey are the major producers of rose oil from the different cultivars of Rosa × damascena.

It is cultivated for commercial use in an area in the vicinity of Kazanlak and Karlovo in Bulgaria called the "Valley of Roses".

The most popular use, however, is in the flavoring of desserts such as ice cream, jam, Turkish delights, rice pudding, yogurt, etc.