Rose de Resht – crimson historic Portland rose – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL rooted cutting
Heritage own-root pharmaROSA® NEONATAL material of Rose de Resht offers a compact, bushy habit and dense foliage that suit premium 5–7 L container production and bed or border use where a reliable historical character is required. Its very full, medium-sized flowers with repeat remontant flushes and exceptionally strong, classic rose-like fragrance position it as a selection/specialty item for retail/collector channels and thematic or collection plantings. On own roots the cultivar supports long-term, homogeneous stands with predictable regrowth and reduced replacement, aligning well with nursery and integrator systems planning stable, premium lines for public-realm and institutional projects in colder UK regions with reliable frost and winter tolerance. Over a natural progression of roots in year one, structural shoots in year two and full ornamental expression in year three, you can build a steady, specialty portfolio backed by the flexibility of tray-rooted propagation material that is easy to schedule, store and integrate into production workflows, particularly where medium maintenance and occasional pest control are already part of standard practice.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium 5–7 L heritage fragrance line – Own-root Rose de Resht in 5–7 L premium containers, bush-trained with discreet support, highlighting strong fragrance and compact habit for a selection/specialty shelf – retail/collector.
- Historic bed and border series – Container-grown plants aimed at bed and border use, leveraging remontant flowering and dense foliage for structured planting modules, supplied from uniform NEONATAL batches – retail/collector.
- Cold-climate heritage assortment – H7-hardy, own-root units positioned for colder regions, combining winter resilience with remontant flowering in premium container form to reduce replacement risk – retail/collector.
- Fragrance display specimens – Selected plants grown on into 7–12 L or 40–50 L containers as high-impact, scented focal points, supported by strong own-root regrowth after pruning – retail/collector.
- Thematic collection accessions – Labelled heritage Portland items used as stable collection accessions, propagated on own roots for identity security and long-term bed performance in curated ranges – retail/collector.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Historical Portland, commercial name Rose de Resht, marketed as a heritage rose bush for fragrant OGR use; ARS approved exhibition name Rose de Resht, authenticity verified for professional propagation. |
| Origin and breeding |
Selection linked to Rosa × damascena with unknown breeder; rediscovered and reintroduced in the United Kingdom in 1945, with historical references around 1880 supporting heritage positioning. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit, indicating tested ornamental and garden value, a useful indicator for professional producers planning premium and selection-focused ranges. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy growth reaching roughly 85–135 cm in height and 70–120 cm spread, with dense, matt, dark green foliage and moderate prickliness, forming compact, well-filled bushes suited to container and bed uses. |
| Flower morphology |
Very full, rosette-shaped, medium-sized blooms with more than 40 petals, generally produced singly; remontant with an abundant second flowering, giving recurrent, high-density floral display for its size class. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Rich crimson-red blooms with mauve undertone; colour deepens in cooler conditions and lightens in strong sun, later fading towards mauve with a lilac-blue shimmer, using RHS 67A outer and 67C inner references. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, far-scented classic rose fragrance, with highly double blooms that conceal stamens and offer low pollinator attractiveness, classing it mainly as an ornamental and fragrance feature plant. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally poor due to very double flowers; where present, produces occasional small spherical orange-red hips about 8–12 mm in diameter, offering only minor visual interest in most settings. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Medium resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardy to about -32 to -29 °C (USDA 4b, RHS H7, Swedish zone 5), combined with moderate tolerance to brief drought and some heat sensitivity. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to beds, borders, specimen and container use, including cut flowers; medium maintenance with deadheading and occasional pest control, recommended as bush-trained with discreet support in premium, specialty routes. |
Rose de Resht offers compact, bushy structure, strong classic fragrance and proven winter hardiness on a predictable, regenerative own-root base; please contact us to align capacity and scheduling for your premium heritage ranges.
