Rosa ×damascena, commonly known as Damask Rose, is a deciduous shrub native to the Middle East, particularly Syria, and has been cultivated for its fragrant flowers since ancient times. It typically grows to 2.2 meters (7 ft 3 in) tall with stems densely armed with stout, curved prickles and stiff bristles. The leaves are pinnate with five (rarely seven) leaflets. The flowers, which bloom in spring and early summer, are light to moderate pink to light red and grow in clusters. The informal shape of the bush and the showy, fragrant blooms make it a favorite among gardeners.

The Damask Rose is celebrated for its intense fragrance and is a key ingredient in the perfume industry. The flowers are harvested for rose oil, rose water, and "rose concrete." The petals are also edible and can be used in culinary dishes, as a garnish, in herbal teas, or preserved as gulkand. This rose is optimally cultivated in hedge rows to protect the blooms from wind and facilitate harvesting. Harvesting is labor-intensive, with a brief 20–40 day period for gathering flowers by hand for distillation. In gardens, Damask Rose is valued for its beautiful flowers and fragrance, often used in border planting or as a specimen shrub. It requires full sun and medium water, thriving in a range of soil drainage conditions. While generally disease-resistant, it can be susceptible to common rose ailments such as black spot and powdery mildew.CC BY-SA 4.0