Kazanlik – historic pink Damask rose | pharmaROSA® NEONATAL rooted cutting
Historic Kazanlik offers professional growers a dependable own-root base for premium, once-flowering Damask production where fragrance and traditional character are decisive. As a tray-grown, 3–6-month-old NEONATAL rooted cutting, it integrates cleanly into nursery propagation beds and 5–7 L premium container lines, supporting predictable scheduling and homogeneous stands. The strongly scented, mid-pink, double blooms combine heritage appeal with a defined seasonal peak, ideal for curated ranges in thematic and scented collections. Own-root structure underpins regenerative, long-term planting in show and heritage projects, supporting reduced replacement and a stable stock base across cycles. Its bushy, dense-foliage habit and 140–200 cm height allow clear specification for hedge, specimen and park applications, including 40–50 litre final containers for landscape-ready material. Winter performance suits UK nursery networks that must serve sites where cold, wind and exposure require resilient shrub roses. This aligns well with UK public- and private-collection projects that value authenticity, continuity of supply and specialty positioning based on a documented historical cultivar, while the own-root platform supports the natural Year 1 roots, Year 2 framework, Year 3 full ornamental value development arc for reliable capacity planning.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Historic Fragrance 7L Bush – Bush-trained, discreetly supported 5–7 L containers highlighting once-blooming, very strongly scented mid-pink flowers; suited to premium historic and scented-garden ranges for retail/collector channels.
- Damask Heritage Hedge Module – Heavier 40–50 litre containers with 140–200 cm, dense, bushy shrubs positioned for boundary and hedge planting, leveraging own-root longevity for public-realm and estate supply partners.
- Curated Dowager Collection Line – Uniform 5–7 L NEONATAL-derived plants grouped with other historic roses to create a labelled, story-led collection for specialist retailers and mail-order catalogues targeting connoisseur buyers.
- Rose Oil Tradition Feature Specimen – Larger, specimen-grade containers referencing the Kazanlak rose-oil heritage, using bush-trained, own-root plants for parks and show gardens via landscape and institutional procurement routes.
- Gene-Bank Maintenance Stock – Structurally strong, own-root shrubs grown on from trays into 5–7 L containers for secure cultivar maintenance blocks serving nursery networks, conservation projects and public garden collections.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Kazanlik, a historical Damask rose marketed as Kazanlik Historic rose, classified as an old historic rose (Dowager) within the Historic rose collection; unregistered cultivar with American Rose Society exhibition name Kazanlik. |
| Origin and breeding |
Historic Damask type with complex Rosa gallica hybrid parentage; breeder and breeding institution unknown, with early references around 1612 and wider commercial introduction in 1889 by Dr Georg Dieck in Germany. |
| Awards and recognition |
Recognised in exhibition circuits as an old historic rose, including Dowager Rose Queen at the ARS Phoenix Rose Society Show in 2006, supporting its relevance for heritage-focused and show-oriented plant ranges. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy shrub reaching about 140–200 cm in height and 120–180 cm spread, with dense mid-green, matt foliage and strong prickliness; spent blooms persist and require manual removal due to weak self-cleaning behaviour. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized, flat, double flowers with 26–39 petals, borne in clusters; non-remontant, providing a single, concentrated flowering period suited to defined seasonal programmes rather than continuous-flowering displays. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Mid-toned warm pink blooms (ARS MP, RHS 58A/62B), buds deep pink with darker tips, opening to vibrant mid-pink then fading to pale pink with creamy edges; colour retention is modest, with noticeable lightening as flowers age. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strongly scented flowers with classic rose perfume, noticeable from a distance; double form limits access for pollinators, so the cultivar is primarily ornamental and fragrance-led rather than designed for ecological planting value. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally poor because of the double flower form, though occasional 12–20 mm ellipsoidal hips may occur, typically orange-red and sparsely distributed, having limited impact on the plant’s overall ornamental effect. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Moderate disease resistance, with powdery mildew, black spot and rust all at manageable moderate levels; hardy to around −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish zone 3), with reasonable heat and moderate drought tolerance requiring irrigation in extended dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for flowerbeds, parks, specimen and hedge uses, plus scented gardens; medium maintenance needs with some plant protection and manual deadheading; supplied bush-trained with discreet support for premium container and specialty market routes. |
Kazanlik Historic rose offers strong fragrance, bushy structure and historic authenticity on a predictable, regenerative own-root base, making it a sound option for nurseries and project suppliers wishing to discuss capacity, timelines and future specialist ranges.
