VICTOR HUGO® – red hybrid tea rose – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL rooted cutting
Velvety hybrid tea blooms with very strong fragrance and exhibition-quality form make VICTOR HUGO® a focused choice for premium 5–7 L container production and exclusive finished-product ranges, while own-root stability supports predictable scheduling for nurseries supplying retail and reseller partners. The upright, bush-trained framework with 3–5 strong canes and dense mid-green foliage offers structure suited to high-impact specimen and flower-bed use in thematic and show gardens, with moderate disease resistance and H6 hardiness providing dependable performance in typical UK nursery and project conditions, including more exposed northern and Scottish sites with good winter and wind tolerance. Remontant flowering with plentiful second flushes underpins continuity for cut-flower and exhibition hybrid tea categories, and the own-root form delivers long-term regeneration, low replacement needs and homogeneous stands over successive cropping cycles. With a proven fragrance award and rich dark red, high-centred blooms, VICTOR HUGO® aligns well to exclusive, flower-quality-led ranges, while spherical red hips in moderate quantities provide additional interest for collection and display plantings. As a pharmaROSA® NEONATAL tray-rooted cutting, it integrates easily into professional propagation lines, from nursery beds to premium container routes, with scalable volumes and planning security. The development arc typically sees roots consolidate in Year 1, structural shoots form in Year 2, and full ornamental expression reached by Year 3 under professional management.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium 5–7 L scented feature rose – Upright, bush-trained plants with XL, high-centred, velvety red blooms and very strong fragrance in 5–7 L premium containers, positioned as exclusive, flower-quality-led features – target: premium retail and specialist reseller benches.
- Exhibition hybrid tea collection line – Uniform own-root 5–7 L plants selected for straight, long flowering stems and classic exhibition bud form, marketed as an exhibition hybrid tea highlight – target: exhibitors, keen amateurs via specialist retailers.
- Fragrance award showcase container – Branded 5–7 L product emphasising the Hague fragrance award and rose-oil scent, grown from bush-trained NEONATAL material for strong, upright habit – target: garden centres and fragrance-focused promotional displays.
- Thematic ‘Victor Hugo’ heritage rose – Story-led SKU for thematic and collection gardens, using uniform own-root 5–7 L plants with dense foliage and rich dark red flowers to anchor literary or historical ranges – target: public gardens, estates and curated projects.
- Structured red hedge module – Repeated 5–7 L units grown to 80–100 cm, exploiting upright habit and dense foliage to create short formal hedges or edging modules – target: landscape specifiers and contract growers for public and commercial schemes.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose cultivar MEIvestal, marketed as VICTOR HUGO® – red hybrid tea rose – Meilland; also known in exhibition circles as Senator Burda® for American Rose Society purposes. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Marie-Louise Meilland (Meilland International SA) in France before 1985, from (Karl Herbst × [Royal Velvet × Suspense]) × Erotika; introduced and registered in 1985 via Meilland Richardier. |
| Awards and recognition |
Fragrance Award (Prix du Parfum) at The Hague, Netherlands, in 1985, confirming the cultivar’s notable, very strong fragrance profile under international trial conditions at introduction. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush reaching approximately 80–120 cm in height and 40–60 cm spread, with dense, mid-green, slightly glossy foliage and moderate prickliness; supplied bush-trained with 3–5 strong framework canes. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, XL flowers with around 26–39 petals, borne mainly solitary; high-centred, pointed, cut-rose-type bud form with remontant habit and a plentiful second flowering under suitable cultivation. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep, velvety currant-red flowers (RHS 53A outer, 53B inner), opening from crimson buds to rich dark red, then slightly ruby-burgundy before fading; colour retention moderate with a persistently velvety visual effect. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, garden-filling fragrance with classic rose-oil character; double flowers moderately attractive to pollinators due to obscured stamens, making this primarily an ornamental, scent-focused variety. |
| Hip characteristics |
Forms spherical red hips, approximately 12–18 mm in diameter, in moderate quantities, adding discrete late-season interest in collection plantings without dominating the overall ornamental effect. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Moderate resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; heat tolerant but needs irrigation in prolonged drought; hardy to around -15 to -12 °C (RHS H6), corresponding to Swedish Zone 2 and USDA Zone 7b. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to flower beds, specimens, containers, hedges and cutting; medium maintenance with occasional pest and disease control; recommended as premium container product, typically 5–7 L, from bush-trained own-root material. |
VICTOR HUGO® – red hybrid tea rose – Meilland offers award-winning fragrance, strong flower form and upright container habit on a predictable own-root base, making it a sound candidate for aligning capacities and schedules in premium programmes.
