BOTERO® GPT. – deep red climbing rose – Meilland
Botero offers professional climber production a premium, space‑defining option on an own‑root platform, ideal for tray‑based propagation into staked, trained 3–5 cane lines for 5–7 L containers. With dense dark green foliage, sparsely thorned canes and an upright habit to 200–300 cm, it builds strong vertical structures for walls, fences, pergolas and arches in thematic and collection gardens. The velvety deep‑red, XL, very double rosette blooms, with colour deepening to burgundy and blackish edging, are complemented by a very strong, long‑lasting damask‑fruity fragrance that has earned multiple European perfume awards. On own roots, this cultivar develops a reliable arc of rooting in year one, structural shoot build‑up in year two and full ornamental expression from year three, supporting predictable capacity for UK nursery and public‑realm supply chains requiring stable, winter‑hardy vertical features that tolerate typical Scottish and northern English winter and wind conditions in exposed sites.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium 5–7 L trained climber for retail walls – Upright 200–300 cm habit with dense foliage and sparse prickles suits staked 3–5 cane training in 5–7 L pots as a ready‑to‑install wall or fence feature, positioned as an exclusive vertical garden accent for quality garden centre and reseller channels.
- Fragrance-collection pergola pair – Very strong damask‑fruity fragrance and XL, very double blooms support paired climbers pre‑trained on arches in 40–50 L containers, marketed as a signature scented entrance feature for thematic gardens and specialist retail promotions.
- Architectural public-realm climber module – Disease resistance and low maintenance needs favour pre‑trained 5–7 L or larger units for pergolas and screens, offering municipal and institutional buyers reliable vertical coverage with reduced follow‑up work in public‑realm schemes.
- Named-artist collection specimen – The Botero linkage and perfume awards justify a branded specimen format in 7 L containers with 3–5 structured canes, tailored for curated art‑ or culture‑themed rose collections within premium retail and mail‑order assortments.
- Cut-and-display vertical block – Deep‑red, colour‑stable, XL rosette blooms enable dual‑use trained climber lines in 5–7 L and 40–50 L containers, where growers harvest limited cut stems while selling high‑impact vertical features into design‑led retail and project‑based channels.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Botero® GPT. – deep red climbing rose – Meilland; large-flowered climber, exhibition climbing rose and cut flower type; registered as MEIafonesar, with American Rose Society exhibition name Botero®. |
| Origin and breeding |
Sport of the hybrid tea ‘Botero’, bred by Alain Meilland at Meilland International, France; breeding completed 1999, introduced and registered 2003 by Meilland International for international distribution. |
| Awards and recognition |
Extensive fragrance awards: Baden-Baden Fragrance Prize 1999, Geneva Perfume Cup 1999, Madrid Pere Dot Fragrance Award 1999, Saverne Fragrance Award 1999, Nantes Grand Prix International du Parfum 2001 and Nantes Fragrance Award 2001. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright climbing habit reaching about 200–300 cm high and 70–130 cm spread; dense, matte dark green foliage on relatively sparsely thorned canes, suitable for structured training on walls, fences, pergolas and arches. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, rosette-shaped XL flowers with over 40 petals, usually borne solitary; remontant habit with a good second flush, supporting repeated ornamental and cut flower use over the season in suitable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Velvety deep-red flowers with crimson undertone; ARS MR, RHS 53B outer and 53A inner; buds dark, almost black-red; colour deepens to burgundy with a subtle blackish edge before fading, with moderate overall colour retention. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, long-lasting scent with classical damask notes overlaid by fruity nuances; the intensity and persistence support use in fragrance-themed gardens and high-value display points where scent is a key selection factor. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set typically low due to very double flowers; where present, ellipsoidal red hips (RHS 43A) around 12–18 mm diameter, generally of minor ornamental relevance compared with the dominant flowering and fragrance display. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated resistant to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardiness around −23 to −21 °C (H7, Swedish zone 3, USDA 6a); tolerates heat without prolonged drought, requiring irrigation during extended dry periods to maintain vigour. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to walls, fences, pergolas and arches, also usable for cut flowers; recommended as a low‑maintenance, trained climber finished product from staked rooted cuttings, typically in 5–7 L containers requiring limited ongoing intervention. |
Botero® GPT. MEIafonesar combines award-winning fragrance, strong disease resistance and upright, easily trained growth on a durable own-root base, offering predictable long-term vertical feature production for which we would be pleased to align capacity and scheduling.
