Caroline's Heart – pharmaROSA NEONATAL own-root shrub rose propagation material
Caroline's Heart offers tray-rooted, own-root propagation material that supports professional, collection-grade rose production where landscape projects and show garden concepts demand reliable cut-flower-capable shrubs. Its compact, upright habit and dense, dark green foliage lend themselves to uniform 2–3 L standard-container lines for retail and reseller channels, while the strong, old-rose/myrrh fragrance and large, double, pastel-pink blooms with very good colour retention underpin “reliable garden performance” positioning in thematic and dedicated rose collections. As own-root pharmaROSA NEONATAL material, it is planned for high-volume, nationwide nursery networks, supporting Scottish and northern plantings where winter and wind tolerance align with public and institutional schemes, and giving a predictable arc from root establishment in year one, structural build in year two, to full ornamental expression from year three under professional care.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- 2–3 L Park Collection Shrub – Upright, compact, dense-foliaged plants in 2–3 L standard containers produced from tray-rooted own-root material, targeting reliable garden performance in curated park and shrub collections – retail / reseller.
- Fragrance Feature Rose Bush – Bush-trained, strongly scented old-rose/myrrh shrub finished in 2–3 L pots from NEONATAL cuttings, positioned as a dependable fragrant highlight within standard product ranges – fragrance-focused retail programmes.
- Landscape Award Line – Awarded landscape shrub rose offered as uniform, own-root 2–3 L bushes for parks and estates, emphasising stable structure and repeat flowering for project-based planting schemes – municipal and landscape contractors.
- Collection-Grade Authentic Shrub – Authenticated, own-root propagation batches grown on into standard containers for thematic rose gardens and gene-bank style collections, focusing on identity security and long-term renewal – botanic and collection institutions.
- Mixed Garden–Cut Shrub Unit – Compact upright shrubs in 2–3 L containers marketed for both garden structure and occasional cutting, using own-root, renewable stock to keep supply predictable season after season – nursery–florist channels.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Park-shrub cultivar registered as VEL16dsipo, marketed as Caroline's Heart Park - shrub rose VEL16dsipo, shrub rose exhibition category; commercial park rose type in the Park - shrub group. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Ann Velle Boudolf at Lens Roses, Belgium (breeding year 2016), introduced in 2018 by Lens Roses; parentage is unknown and registration year data are not provided. |
| Awards and recognition |
Strong trial performance with multiple awards: Barcelona 1st prize Landscape roses and horticultural school award 2018, Baden-Baden silver medal 2019, Warsaw bronze medal 2020, Lyon landscape certificate 2021, plus Hradec Králové recognition. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Compact, upright shrub 120–190 cm high, 60–100 cm spread, moderately thorny with dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage; moderate self-cleaning so some spent blooms persist and require occasional removal. |
| Flower morphology |
Large L-sized, double cupped blooms with 26–30 petals, carried in corymbose clusters; repeats well with an abundant second flush, providing sustained flowering structure suitable for decorative and occasional cutting use. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Soft pastel pink overall (ARS LP, RHS 65C outer, 65D inner), opening pure pink then fading to pale pink with near-white inner petal bases; colour retention is very good though fading accelerates under strong sun. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, long-lasting scent with classic old-rose and myrrh character; fully double form encloses stamens so is relatively unattractive to pollinators and not optimised where high pollinator value is required. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional small hips, 8–12 mm, ellipsoid, orange-red; incidental ornamental value only, with limited impact on general production decisions or commercial positioning in most shrub ranges. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to around -15 – -12 °C (H6, Swedish zone 2, USDA 7b) with moderate heat and drought tolerance; disease sensitivity medium to powdery mildew and black spot, very sensitive to rust, requiring regular protection. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best used in flowerbeds, parks, specimen roles, containers and as a cut-capable shrub; high maintenance due to disease susceptibility, so professional plant protection and attention are essential for reliable garden performance. |
Caroline's Heart combines award-recognised flowering, compact upright shrub structure and strong fragrance with predictable, regenerative own-root performance, making it a sound option for nurseries wishing to align capacity and scheduling for dependable shrub ranges.
