Pink Panther™ Hybrid tea rose MEIcapinal – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL rooted cutting
Exhibition performance, flower quality and fragrance stability make Pink Panther™ a highly dependable hybrid tea for premium container production, cut-flower lines and specimen merchandising. Its coral-pink colour range remains visually clean across the bloom cycle, with goblet to cup-shaped, very double flowers suited to high-value presentation and retail / reseller demands. The upright, compact habit with dense, glossy dark-green foliage supports tidy, homogeneous crops in 5–7 L routes, while own-root propagation secures long-term renewable stands with predictable regrowth and capacity planning. Good heat and moderate drought tolerance suits UK nursery networks supplying warmer and drier regions in the South-East, while ADR-level performance and awards history underline credible cultivar stability. From Year 1 roots through Year 2 framework to full ornamental value in Year 3, own-root pharmaROSA® NEONATAL material provides a practical, scalable base for wholesale and collection-grade rose ranges.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- ADR Premium Hybrid Tea 5–7 L – Own-root, bush-trained Pink Panther™ in 5–7 L premium containers, marketed with ADR and medal history for added assurance on flower quality and form – target audience/channel: retail / reseller premium benches
- Fragrant Exhibition Stem Line – Production-focused line highlighting large, goblet-shaped blooms and classic May rose fragrance from well-framed 3–5 cane bushes – target audience/channel: exhibition growers and specialist floristry partners
- Coral-Pink Feature Bed Rose – Batch-consistent colour effect and remontant flowering for high-impact bed plantings using 5–7 L stock as ready landscape units – target audience/channel: public-realm and municipal project suppliers
- Exclusive Specimen Patio Rose – Upright, compact plants with glossy foliage selected for single-pot feature use, with scope to step into ≥40–50 L final containers for signature placements – target audience/channel: design-led garden centres
- Thematic Award-Winner Collection Piece – Curated inclusion in award-winner or Meilland heritage collections, leveraging own-root stability for long-term maintenance beds – target audience/channel: show gardens and thematic rose collections
Technical cultivar profile
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as MEIcapinal, traded as Pink Panther™ Hybrid tea rose MEIcapinal; American Rose Society approved exhibition name Pink Panther; collection and exhibition cut-flower hybrid tea type. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Marie-Louise Meilland, Meilland International / Meilland et Cie, France, from ‘Coppélia 76’ × ‘MEInaregi’; bred, registered and introduced in 1981 via Meilland Richardier. |
| Awards and recognition |
Gold medal The Hague 1981; multiple silver medals in Le Roeulx, Geneva, Monza, Saverne 1981; fragrance award The Hague 1982; ADR certification Germany 1981, confirming robust garden and presentation performance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush reaching 80–105 cm height and 50–70 cm spread, with dense, dark-green, glossy foliage and moderate prickliness; forms a well-structured framework suitable for 3–5 cane bush training in containers. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, solitary hybrid tea flowers with over 40 petals, large size around 2.75–3.95 inches; goblet to cup-shaped form designed for exhibition-quality stems and premium decorative use; remontant with abundant second flush. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm coral to salmon-pink base with more vivid pink petal edges, ARS PB, RHS 65D outer and 62C inner; colour holds well then softens to powdery, pearly pink, overall presenting an even, medium-deep coral-pink effect in mass. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength, distinctly scented rose with classic May rose character; heavily double, cup-shaped blooms conceal stamens, so mainly ornamental rather than pollinator-focused, but valuable where fragrance is a key sales driver. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional spherical red hips, around 6–10 mm diameter; not a primary ornamental feature but may appear sporadically, with limited impact on cropping or finished presentation in container or bed applications. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C, RHS H7, Swedish zone 3, USDA 6b; moderate resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; thrives in heat and tolerates moderate drought with watering in prolonged dry periods. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to flower beds, cut-flower use, specimen and container-grown production; moderate maintenance with occasional pest and disease control; best positioned as premium container stock from own-root NEONATAL cuttings. |
Pink Panther™ Hybrid tea rose MEIcapinal combines award-backed flower quality, classic fragrant hybrid tea form and own-root predictability for long-lived, renewable stands, making it a sound candidate to discuss capacity planning and schedule alignment.
