OMBREE PARFAITE – crimson-purple historic Gallica rose – Vibert
Heritage shrub material such as OMBRÉE PARFAITE offers specialty value for nurseries building thematic and collection-led ranges, with a bushy, upright habit suitable for premium 5–7 L container routes and bush-trained production with discreet support. Its strong, long-lasting old-rose fragrance, smoky crimson-purple colour transitions and historic Gallica character support positioning as a premium, selection-grade cultivar for collectors and dedicated rose gardens. Own-root pharmaROSA NEONATAL propagation gives a renewable, long-lived base that settles roots in year one, builds structural shoots in year two and reaches full ornamental value from year three, helping You plan stable capacity and reduce replacement in collection beds and specialty hedging. With winter resilience well-suited to exposed northern and elevated sites and reliable heat and drought tolerance under UK nursery conditions, it underpins sustainable stock for historic ranges where identity integrity and long-term performance are critical to Your professional portfolio.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium 5–7 L heritage container shrub – Bush-trained OMBRÉE PARFAITE in 5–7 L pots, highlighting its compact upright habit and strong old-rose fragrance as a selection-grade historic Gallica for retail/collector benches – specialist retail nurseries.
- Thematic Gallica bed modules – NEONATAL-based shrub modules for flower beds in dedicated rose gardens, built around its intense once-a-season bloom and distinctive crimson-purple to smoky mauve colour shift – public-realm and show-garden contractors.
- Historic low hedge line – Repeated 5–7 L plants for low hedging, using the 95–160 cm spread, moderately dense foliage and own-root longevity to create characterful historic boundaries – landscape-focused wholesale growers.
- Fragrance collection feature SKU – A premium container SKU positioned within a classic fragrance collection, using the strong, long-lasting old-rose scent and heritage dating from 1823 as key differentiators – garden centres with collector clientele.
- Autumn-hip interest heritage shrub – Container or bed-line plants marketed on historic character plus occasional orange-red hips for extended season interest, leveraging own-root durability for long-term planting schemes – municipal and institutional project suppliers.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Current trade name OMBRÉE PARFAITE Heritage rose Vibert, historical Gallica shrub in the Heritage rose collection; unregistered variety with no listed ARS exhibition name or alternative commercial synonyms. |
| Origin and breeding |
Historic French cultivar introduced in 1823, bred by Jean-Pierre Vibert from Rosa gallica × Rosa centifolia; breeder institution and initial distributor not provided, reflecting early nineteenth-century heritage origins. |
| Awards and recognition |
Not provided; no competition, collectors’ or global awards are listed in the dataset, so selection is based on historic status, fragrance and visual character rather than formal trial recognition. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright shrub reaching around 85–135 cm in height and 95–160 cm spread, with moderately dense, matte, mid-green foliage and slightly thorny stems; self-cleaning behaviour and pruning responses are not provided. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium sized, very double, cup-shaped flowers with 40+ petals borne in clusters; flowering is once per season (non-remontant), providing a concentrated decorative period rather than repeated flushes through the summer. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Closed buds are deep black-tinged purple, opening rich crimson-purple (RHS 77A outer, 79B inner) before fading through smoky mauve-lilac to dull violet-brown, with colour changes faster in strong sun yet rated very good for retention overall. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, long-lasting, classic old-rose fragrance defined as the primary sensory feature; very double flowers limit pollinator access, so the variety is classed as primarily ornamental rather than pollinator-supportive in professional plantings. |
| Hip characteristics |
In favourable seasons it may produce ornamental spherical orange-red hips around 10–16 mm in diameter, adding modest autumn and early winter visual interest to shrubs after the once-per-season flowering phase has finished. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated hardy to about -32 – -29 °C with RHS H7, Swedish zone 5 and USDA 4b; heat and drought tolerance is good, coping with moderate drought but needing irrigation in prolonged heat; disease resistance is moderate to main foliar pathogens. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for flower beds, containers and hedges with medium maintenance and occasional pest control; suggested release as bush-trained with discreet support via premium container, specialty product paths using 5–7 L target pots for finished stock. |
OMBREE PARFAITE offers compact historic shrub structure, strong old-rose fragrance and reliable winter hardiness on a long-lived own-root base that supports predictable, regenerating stands; You are invited to discuss scheduling and capacity for your heritage ranges.
