Hello Kandm,

It sounds very unusual. Do you have a pic you could post??

Unfortunately no, I can't get my digital camera to work b/c I'm using win 98. The rose is pretty weird though, my mom says it's probably just a grafting abnormality.

If it is a miniature rose there could have been more than one plant in the same pot. Do all the stems come from the main plant stem? Or are there lots of stems coming out of the soil?

They are all sort of tangled, I will look closely tomorrow. I am assuming it is a mini b/c the blooms are small but this plant has grown a lot in a short period of time.

There is more than one plant in the same pot. It is a very common occurance with Mini"s. I usually just buy one and seperate them to get two and sometimes three. Because the plants are so close together they look like they are intermingled

Patrick

it's probably grafted. I would guess they just budded 3 or 4 different roses on one rootstock. A novelty sort of like those apple trees that have 3 or 4 different varieties of apples.

It's common for the nursey who supplies these potted minis to plant 2 or more tiny rooted cutting together to get a fuller plant. Normally they are all one type but they could have placed two different varieties together on purpose.
You said the tags states "Assorted Roses, Rosas Surtidas, mature ht 6', with every imaginable color and shape".
This could mean the entire lot consisted of assorted varieties or each pot consisted of assorted varieties planted together.
My interpretation is exactly as it reads, "assorted roses", with every imaginable color and shape in each pot.
I googled Rosas Surtidas and found it means assorted roses. The translated websites, although attached to mixed color rose bouquets, indicate the words mean there are assorted roses (different varieties) planted together in one pot.
For us non-spanish speaking folks using Rosas Surtidas on the tag makes one believe it's one variety. Kind of like some of the winter grocery store minis with their "Rosa Cupido" which basically means "small rose."
I'm sure if you separated the plants you'd find at least two plants with each one a different color.

I did not separate them, not idea they could have been multiple plants. It's the 6' that really scared me, sounds like a beast. I've always heard 3ft between roses so I would have if I had known. Should I try to separate them now?

Go over to the Miniature Roses forum and find a thread with the subject "How to save a potted gift rose". That will give you great information on separating the plants.

Minis can get large, but 6' is pushing it. And yes, 3' on center between plant is "the norm" but it depends on the variety and the growing conditions.

I suspect these are not the typical miniatures grown in Canadian greenhouses. More than likely they are from Mexico or anther Latin American country. The name, "Rosas Surtidas," seems to indicate that.
Miniature blooms can be from Polyanthas which can get quite large and have small foliage similar to a miniature rose.