Mrs. John Laing – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL rooted cutting
The historic Hybrid Perpetual heritage of Mrs. John Laing provides a proven, 19th‑century benchmark cultivar for nurseries building serious thematic collections and premium historic assortments from tray‑rooted, own‑root material. As a very double, XL‑flowered, remontant rose with strong, distance‑carrying fragrance and classic exhibition ball‑shaped flowers, it can underpin higher‑value, cut‑flower and collector‑grade container lines in the 5–7 L segment. The upright, medium‑vigorous, bush‑trained growth with dense, matt foliage and barely thorny stems suits premium container finishing and park or specimen placements, while own‑root production supports long‑term stability, low replacement rates and reliable renewal for wholesale stock. With H7 hardiness down to about −34 °C and a track record in demanding climates, it offers robust structural performance even in colder, wind‑exposed nursery and project sites, for example where winter exposure in northern regions requires dependable hardiness. The remontant flowering complements year‑round programme planning for selection / specialty ranges, while the historic awards profile – including RNRS recognition – strengthens credibility for UK nurseries, integrators and public‑realm suppliers building distinguished historic rose portfolios from a standardised own‑root platform.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Victorian Heritage 7 L Bush – Premium 5–7 L bush‑trained container line highlighting the historic origin, strong fragrance and classic ball‑shaped flowers, positioned as a selection / specialty SKU for historic garden and collector programmes – target audience/channel: retail/collector
- Exhibition Remontant Cut Rose – Own‑root stock blocks dedicated to stem production, exploiting the remontant flowering and XL, very double blooms for niche exhibition and specialty cut‑flower markets – target audience/channel: retail/collector
- Fragrant Historic Border Rose – Medium‑maintenance, strongly scented border plant supplied in premium containers from uniform NEONATAL starts, supporting curated borders in parks and show gardens – target audience/channel: retail/collector
- Cold‑Hardy Heritage Feature – Container‑grown, upright specimens for colder, exposed projects, making use of H7 hardiness and own‑root longevity to minimise replacement in long‑term historic schemes – target audience/channel: retail/collector
- Collector’s Gene‑Bank Line – Propagation and maintenance stands based on authenticated own‑root material, supporting private‑label historic collections and future propagation for thematic rose gardens – target audience/channel: retail/collector
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Mrs. John Laing is a historic Hybrid Perpetual rose, commercial type historic perpetual hybrid, in the Historical rose group; current trade and ARS exhibition name Mrs. John Laing, unregistered cultivar status. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in the United Kingdom by Henry Bennett around 1885 from ‘François Michelon’ × unknown seedling; introduced 1887 via distributors including Chas. F. Evans (USA) and C. F. Newman & Sons (Australia). |
| Awards and recognition |
Historically recognised with RNRS Gold Medal (1885) and later American Rose Society Victorian Certificates in 1999 (Buckeye District) and 2000 (Las Vegas Valley), underpinning its collector and exhibition value. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Medium‑vigorous, upright shrub reaching about 110–160 cm in height and 120–180 cm in spread, with dense, light green, matt foliage (RHS 138C) and barely thorny shoots; requires deadheading due to weak self‑cleaning. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, XL blooms with more than 40 petals, usually solitary, forming ball to pompon flower shapes; remontant with abundant second flowering, suited to cut flower and exhibition use as well as specimen displays. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Buds deep carmine‑pink with silvery tips shift through mid‑pink to pastel and pale porcelain pink, with silvery‑whitish edge fading; ARS lp, RHS 65C outer and 65D inner, colour retention moderate with a refined pastel effect at full bloom. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, distance‑noticeable fragrance with deeply sweet, tea‑like and classic rose notes; the intensity and character make it particularly suited to fragrant garden focal points and premium scented product lines. |
| Hip characteristics |
Forms moderately abundant, ovoid hips about 10–14 mm in diameter, coloured red to RHS 44A; hips follow flowering where deadheading is not carried out, adding subtle seasonal interest in less intensively maintained settings. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Medium disease resistance overall, with moderate tolerance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; rated to approximately −34 to −32 °C, RHS H7, Swedish Zone 5 and USDA Zone 4a, suitable for colder climates with standard care. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for borders, specimens, cut flower, parks, containers and hedges; medium maintenance with occasional pest control, requires deadheading; best as bush‑trained with discreet support in premium 5–7 L containers or similar formats. |
Mrs. John Laing combines historic credibility, strong fragrance and cold‑hardy structure on an own‑root base that supports predictable, regenerative, long‑lived stands; we would be pleased to discuss scheduling and capacity for your programmes.
