WILD ROVER – deep purple park rose - Dickson
Exhibition potential, remontant flowering and fragrance-driven appeal make WILD ROVER a versatile option for nurseries building reliable park and shrub assortments from pharmaROSA® NEONATAL own-root material. This compact, bush-trained form in 2–3 L containers develops into an upright, dense-foliaged shrub with medium maintenance needs and moderate self-cleaning, well aligned with UK retail expectations of reliable garden performance and standard finished-product positioning. Its deep crimson-purple colour with mauve overtones and strong, long-lasting sweet-spicy scent support differentiated, premium-garden ranges for thematic rose gardens and collection beds, while the own-root base provides predictable stands and long service life for nursery networks operating where winter and wind exposure are common, as in parts of Scotland and northern England. With H7 hardiness, USDA 6b rating and moderate disease resistance, WILD ROVER offers a balanced package for large-scale, repeatable production: tray-rooted cuttings establish roots in year one, build framework in year two and reach full ornamental expression in year three, supporting stable, low-replacement supply programmes. Its moderate heat tolerance and flowering continuity suit nationwide logistics and staggered retail release windows across the UK market, providing nursery growers and integrators with a flexible, exhibition-capable portfolio element.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- AGM-featured 3 L park shrub – Highlight RHS Award of Garden Merit status with remontant flowering in a 3 L standard container, positioned as a reliable, fragrance-forward park rose – retail / reseller
- Fragrant purple collection bed line – Use the strong, long-lasting sweet-spicy scent and deep crimson-purple colour to anchor a coordinated 2–3 L shrub collection for thematic and show gardens – public-realm and collection projects
- Urban park and streetscape series – Combine H7 hardiness, medium maintenance and moderate disease resistance in a unified 2–3 L shrub line aimed at local-authority and contractor frameworks – municipal / integrator channels
- Exhibition floribunda feature block – Leverage exhibition floribunda classification and colour stability for dedicated trial or display benches, grown from own-root material through the standard container route – nurseries and show gardens
- Large-format mixed shrub containers – Grow WILD ROVER into 40–50 litre mixed parkland tubs using its upright habit, dense foliage and strong fragrance as the focal element – landscapers and project-based wholesalers
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Registered as DIChirap, marketed as WILD ROVER – deep purple park rose - Dickson, in the Park - shrub rose commercial group; also known in exhibition use as Harry Potter. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Colin Dickson at Dickson Nurseries Ltd, New Ireland, Great Britain, from ‘Spice of Life’ × ‘Rhapsody in Blue’; introduced and registered in the United Kingdom in 2007. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds RHS Award of Garden Merit (2012), Silver Medal at Viña del Mar International Rose Competition (2004), and Certificate of Merit from Glasgow Rose Trials (2010), supporting professional confidence. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright shrub reaching about 120–180 cm high and 75–125 cm spread, with dense, slightly glossy light green foliage and moderate prickliness; self-cleaning is moderate so some spent blooms need removal. |
| Flower morphology |
Semi-double, flat, medium-sized blooms (approximately 1.5–2.75 in) carried in clusters; 13–25 petals with remontant habit and an equally abundant second flowering, supporting extended ornamental presence. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep crimson-purple base tone with subtle mauve hue; ARS code m, RHS 60A outer and 71A inner; buds nearly black-purple, ageing to mauve-lilac, lightening slightly in strong sun without scorching. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, long-lasting sweet and spicy fragrance, characteristic of scented garden shrubs; scent supports value-added positioning in retail and project specifications where aromatic impact is required. |
| Hip characteristics |
Forms small, spherical hips 8–13 mm in diameter, red RHS 40A, appearing occasionally and adding modest seasonal interest without dominating the shrub’s primary floral and foliage display. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated H7 with USDA Zone 6b and Swedish Zone 3 tolerance; moderate resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; flowers well in heat but needs watering during prolonged dry periods. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to flowerbeds, parks, urban green spaces, cut use and specimen roles; medium maintenance, occasional pest and disease control; bush-trained compact plant ideal for 2–3 L standard containers. |
WILD ROVER combines remontant purple clusters, strong sweet-spicy fragrance and proven hardiness on a long-lived own-root base, giving nurseries predictable, regenerating stands for standard container lines; we would welcome aligning volumes and scheduling with you.
