MICHELANGELO® – yellow hybrid tea rose – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL
Romantica® own-root propagation material for premium container production, MICHELANGELO® offers an upright, vigorous hybrid tea habit with dense, dark foliage and XL exhibition-quality blooms. Its very double, cupped flowers deliver a strong, lemony-honey fragrance and consistent flower quality, aligning well with exclusive, flower-focused ranges for retail and reseller channels. As tray-rooted NEONATAL stock, it supports reliable scheduling into 5–7 L premium containers and can subsequently be grown on into larger 40–50 litre feature specimens where required, providing a structured development arc from root establishment through to full ornamental expression by the third season. Own-root longevity and regeneration help maintain homogeneous stands and low replacement in nursery networks, supporting robust supply for thematic rose gardens and curated collections, while its winter hardiness suits UK nursery production where colder northern regions expect dependable field performance and resilient crop structure under challenging conditions.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium 5–7 L scented hybrid tea – Upright, bush-trained plants with XL, very double flowers and strong fragrance, finished in 5–7 L pots as an exclusive yellow hybrid tea highlight – target: premium retail and garden-centre reseller benches.
- Romantica® branded collector line – Branded Romantica® containers using NEONATAL own-root material to ensure cultivar integrity and long-term performance, grouped with other award-winning hybrids – target: rose specialists and mail-order partners.
- Feature terrace container 40–50 L – Stepped-on NEONATAL plants trained to 3–5 framework canes, then finished in 40–50 litre containers as statement specimens with repeated flowering – target: project-oriented landscapers via nursery wholesalers.
- Cut-and-garden dual-purpose bed rose – Field or large-bed production for retail “cut-and-enjoy” concepts, leveraging solitary XL blooms and strong stems from own-root bases – target: regional nurseries supplying lifestyle-led retail ranges.
- Fragrance focus display block – A grouped bench or bed concept featuring strongly scented cultivars, with MICHELANGELO® leading the yellow segment on the premium container route – target: garden centres promoting sensory-themed assortments.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as MEItelov, marketed as Michelangelo® Romantica® MEItelov; approved exhibition name Michelangelo® within the Romantica® collection for cut and exhibition use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Raised by Alain Meilland (France) from (‘Meidragelac’ × ‘Meikinosi’) × ‘Korbelma’; bred and registered in 1997, introduced 1998 by Meilland International SA as breeder and initial distributor. |
| Awards and recognition |
Decorated in multiple rose trials: Gold Medal Monza 1997, Certificate Bagatelle Paris 1997, Rose de Cristal Orléans 2000, and Fragrance Award plus Certificate The Hague 2001, underlining proven garden and show value. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush, typically 110–150 cm high with 75–105 cm spread, dense dark green slightly glossy foliage (RHS 131A), moderately thorny shoots and weak self-cleaning, so deadheading is required in production. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, solitary XL blooms over 3.5 inches, cupped with a medium-high centre and 40+ petals; remontant with a generous second flush, providing sustained focal flowers for premium and exhibition-orientated use. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Lemon-yellow to golden-yellow tones: buds deep saturated yellow, newly opened flowers bright lemon-yellow with golden bases, lightening to buttery and creamy shades in strong sun; ARS MY, RHS 11A outer and 12A inner. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, rich, well-defined scent with a lemony-honey profile, clearly perceptible in use; highly double blooms limit pollen access, so it functions primarily as an ornamental and cut-flower variety rather than pollinator support. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces small, occasional hips only: bottle-shaped fruits about 10–14 mm diameter, greyish-orange (RHS 168B); hips have limited ornamental or commercial value in typical nursery and retail production scenarios. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated resistant overall, with good tolerance to powdery mildew, moderate black spot resistance and rust resistance; hardy to about –21 to –18 °C (H7, USDA 6b, Swedish Zone 3) with moderate heat and drought tolerance under irrigation. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to flower beds, containers, specimen roles and cut-flower use; prefers well-ventilated sites, needs protection in enclosed humid courtyards, and benefits from regular watering plus deadheading to maintain flower quality and plant health. |
MICHELANGELO® combines award-recognised flower form, strong fragrance and upright, container-suited structure with predictable, regenerative own-root performance, making it a reliable candidate for exclusive ranges where we can jointly plan volumes and timings.
