Red Leonardo da Vinci ROMANTICA® MEIangele – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL
Romantica own-root propagation of Red Leonardo da Vinci provides a reliable premium base for nurseries targeting exclusive deep-red nostalgia lines in the 5–7 L premium container segment. Its bushy, compact framework and glossy dark foliage adapt well to UK nursery logistics, supporting homogeneous beds for flower bed, border and park schemes where professional buyers expect consistent flowering and colour performance. Remontant, very full rosette blooms with strong colour retention and nostalgic form deliver clear differentiation on retail benches and for curated thematic rose collections. Own-root structure underpins long-term stability, regeneration and predictable stocking capacity for integrator and public-realm suppliers, helping to reduce replacement risk in project plantings exposed to winter, wind and variable UK climate. ADR-backed resistance supports medium-maintenance programmes with occasional treatments, while moderate self-cleaning keeps display quality manageable in high-turnover benches. Planned as a premium container route, year 1 focuses on root build-up, year 2 on framework shoots, and by year 3 the variety shows its full ornamental value in finished-product ranges.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium 5–7 L nostalgia line – Bush-trained, own-root plants with deep-red, very full rosette blooms in 5–7 L containers for exclusive, Romantica-branded benches – target audience/channel: retail / reseller.
- Collection garden feature blocks – Uniform, compact shrubs from NEONATAL stock, grouped in 5–7 L pots for supplying thematic rose gardens and curated Romantica collections – target audience/channel: public-realm suppliers.
- ADR-certified signature series – ADR-backed, premium silver-quality plants highlighted as a quality benchmark within a branded rose range, grown via the premium container path – target audience/channel: brand-focused nurseries.
- Landscape-ready colour modules – Batch-grown, bush-trained shrubs in 5–7 L containers providing high-impact deep-red colour for borders and park beds in project-based supply – target audience/channel: landscape contractors.
- Large-specimen gateway planters – Selected plants stepped up from 5–7 L into 40–50 L containers as compact, high-colour entrance features with own-root longevity – target audience/channel: project-based clients.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Red Leonardo da Vinci ROMANTICA, floribunda nostalgia rose, registered as MEIangele; ARS exhibition name Red Leonardo da Vinci; part of the ROMANTICA collection and Romantic rose commercial group. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Meilland International SA in France (breeding year 2004) from 'Rote Max Graf' × ('Cassandre' × 'Bonica'); introduced in 2005 with Meilland International as initial distributor. |
| Awards and recognition |
ADR certification granted in 2023, indicating independently tested garden performance and a recognised level of ornamental value and resilience under Central European conditions. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy shrub growing 75–105 cm high with 60–85 cm spread; dense, dark green, glossy foliage; moderately thorny stems; medium self-cleaning so some spent blooms require manual removal. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, very full double rosette blooms with over 40 petals; flowers are produced in clusters; remontant with a plentiful second flowering phase after the main flush under good culture. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Uniform deep-red flowers, ARS code dr, RHS 46A outer and 53B inner; buds black-red and velvety; colour retention very good with only slight lightening and matting in strong sun. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Fragrance is very weak, with a delicate, rose-like character barely noticeable in normal garden use; extremely double form limits pollen access and pollinator attraction. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasionally develops small, spherical red hips 10–14 mm in diameter; hips are not a dominant ornamental feature and typically secondary to the main floral display. |
| 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; performs well in heat with moderate drought tolerance. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to flower beds, parks, borders, specimens and pots; medium maintenance with occasional pest and disease control; best presented as bush-trained plants with 3–5 strong framework canes in premium containers. |
Red Leonardo da Vinci ROMANTICA® MEIangele offers compact, bushy own-root shrubs with deep-red nostalgic blooms and ADR-backed reliability, supporting predictable, regenerative, long-lived stands for which we invite you to align capacities and scheduling.
