LEONARDO DA VINCI® – pink nostalgia rose – Meilland
Romantica own-root propagation material for premium container production, LEONARDO DA VINCI® offers floribunda flowering performance with reliably compact bush structure and dense, dark foliage suited to edging, borders and 5–7 L nursery routes. The very double, rosette flowers combine exhibition-level form with excellent colour retention, supporting an exclusive finished-product position where flower quality and uniformity drive value for retail and reseller partners. On own roots it develops predictably for long-term stock stands – roots consolidate in year one, framework builds in year two, and full ornamental effect is realised from year three – aligning well with UK nursery planning needs, including reliable performance in colder northern regions with strong winter and wind tolerance.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium 5–7 L Romantic border rose – Bush-trained plants in 5–7 L pots, highlighting compact habit and dense foliage for border/edging use, positioned as an exclusive Romantica® feature line for retail – target audience/channel: nursery-based garden centres.
- Exhibition-form nostalgia collection pot – Curated 5–7 L nostalgia rose assortment built around very double rosette blooms and reblooming performance, emphasising flower quality and form – target audience/channel: premium resellers and specialist rose outlets.
- Hardy Romantic hedge unit – Multi-plant hedge packs or repeated 5–7 L units using hardy, compact bushes for structured hedging in public or private projects, where own-root longevity and H7 hardiness justify the premium – target audience/channel: landscape wholesalers and project suppliers.
- Show-garden and collection specimen – Individually labelled 5–7 L plants supplied for thematic Romantica® and floribunda collections, using colour-stable deep pink blooms and verified authenticity as key benefits – target audience/channel: institutional gardens and show organisers.
- Romantica® cut-and-decor container – Bush-trained plants in 5–7 L containers positioned as dual-purpose decorative and short-stem cut-flower sources, using large, clustered, colour-stable blooms – target audience/channel: florist-linked retailers and lifestyle garden centres.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda Romantic rose, MEIdeauri, traded as LEONARDO DA VINCI® Romantica®; exhibition category exhibition floribunda bush; nostalgia rose positioning with verified cultivar authenticity. |
| Origin and breeding |
Meilland International cross ‘Sommerwind’ × (‘Milrose’ × ‘Rosamunde’), bred by Alain Meilland in France, 1993; registered 1993 and introduced commercially from 1994. |
| Awards and recognition |
Recognised with Monza Gold medal (1993), Stuttgart IGA award (1993), Belfast commendation (1996), The Hague Gold medal (1997) and Netherlands Top Rosen award (1997). |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, compact shrub to around 110–170 cm high and 70–120 cm spread, moderately thorny, with dense, dark green glossy foliage; bush-trained with 3–5 strong framework canes. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, rosette-shaped clustered blooms with 40+ petals; large flower size (2.75–3.95 in) on floribunda-type inflorescences; reblooms well with abundant second flowering flush. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Uniform vivid deep pink (RHS 62C outer, 61C inner), raspberry-pink buds; colour holds strongly with excellent retention, only slight paling at petal edges under strong light. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Fragrance character not provided in detail; fragrance strength recorded as very weak and barely perceptible, making visual effect and flower form the primary ornamental features. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasionally produces small spherical orange-red hips, approximately 6–10 mm diameter; hips of some ornamental value but not a primary production or marketing focus. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Moderate resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardiness -26 to -23 °C (RHS H7, Swedish zone 4, USDA 5b); moderate heat tolerance, irrigation needed during dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for borders, edging, containers, hedges and some cut use; medium maintenance with occasional plant protection; release as bush-trained premium container, typically 5–7 L. |
LEONARDO DA VINCI® combines compact, bushy structure, exhibition-quality double blooms and strong winter hardiness on a predictable own-root base, making it a reliable candidate for aligning capacity and schedule planning in premium rose programmes.
