His name is Adonis Stavropoulos and he's the man responsible for tending to the world's largest rose tree according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Tombstone's very own "Shady Lady" is the famous tree and it's located in the Rose Tree Museum on the corner of 4th and Toughnut Streets.

The "Shady Lady" is a Lady Banksia, a climbing rose tree that requires pruning to maintain healthy, says Ursula Schuch, a specialist in plant sciences at the University of Arizona.

Pruning is exactly what Stavropoulos does.

Stavropoulos began pruning the rose tree seven years ago when Burt and Dorothy Devere, owners of the Rose Tree Museum, hired him.

Dorothy says Stavropoulos is laid back, kind and, "He loves Tombstone and the desert."

Interestingly enough Stavropoulos is not from the desert, Tombstone or even the United States.

He grew up in Athens, Greece, and since then has traveled the world, he says.

The 55-year-old Greek stands below the canopy of the massive rose bush.

The sun trickles through the dormant tree and casts shadows upon his face sporting a grayish beard and glasses.

Stavropoulos wears a bucket hat on top of his wavy hair that is pulled back into a ponytail.

In a noticeably Greek accent he says, "You never know what's going to happen in your life, life has some turns, some ups and downs, but all together it's good."

He takes a deep inhale of his electronic cigarette and explains that he came to Tombstone for the warmth but clarifies that he has never seen the movie Tombstone and does not "do country".

Stavropoulos' history with roses does not begin in Tombstone but rather in Greece, where he said his grandmother loved and had a green thumb for roses.

Is this Stavropoulos' claim to fame? Maybe-but he would never concur.

"I don't take credit for it (the success of the tree), I'm part of the whole process of making something and you come over here and spend five bucks," he says.

He stipulates that the success of the 126-year-old tree may be due to the tree being protected by an old movie theater and that the soil is rich from mine shafts.

"Maybe it's found its spot. Maybe its because it's unique in its own sense and grew up to be that big and keeps growing," Stavropoulos says.

"I let it go wherever it wants. Who am I? Do you know how many things this little tree has seen in its' life?" he says.

Stavropoulos says its hard work but he loves what he does, "I love the tree. Sometimes if I accidently yank or cut something that is fresh I feel sorry for it and I apologize."

Pruning the tree keeps him occupied, Stavropoulos says.

"It will take me at least until the end of the month to finish this
project."

Then, his job is not over. Stavropoulos tends to the tree year round- cleaning leaves and petals that shed from the monstrous tree. "There's always something to do," he says.

Stavropoulos also helps with other miscellaneous tasks around the Rose Tree Museum.
"He's very easy to work with," says Dorothy.

Stavropoulos plans to continue working at the Rose Tree Museum but wants to eventually continue his travels. Next stop? Peru.