The 9 most beautiful old roses

Climbing rose ‘Zephirine Drouhin’: a repeat flowering and fragrant variety

The climbing rose ‘Zephirine Drouhin’ delights us with its flowering and fragrance. It blooms abundantly at the beginning of summer around June, then its flowering is repeat flowering more or less regularly depending on the climate, until the first frosts of October-November. It is adorned with semi-double cup-shaped flowers of a magnificent bright pink. They exude a powerful fruity fragrance, with delicious notes of raspberry and blackcurrant.

Its very bushy silhouette, flexible and ample, reaches about 3 metres in height and 2 metres in spread. ‘Zephirine Drouhin’ is considered one of the hardiest bourbon roses, hardy beyond -15°C and particularly suited to mountainous regions. It thrives in sunny, semi-shaded, or even north-facing situations. However, it is quite sensitive to rose diseases.

Moreover, it is an almost thornless variety, which can therefore be grown safely near pathways, to create a lovely arch, to enhance a pergola, or to dress the entrance of a garden shed.

Rose ‘Zephirine Drouhin’ (photo T. Kiya)

The old rose ‘Charles de Mills’: a fragrant bush with exceptional colouring

If the old rose ‘Charles de Mills’ only flowers once at the beginning of summer, in June-July, it does so abundantly and reveals an extraordinary colour. Its large double flowers, measuring 10 to 12cm, indeed offer a changing purple, tinged with crimson red, with hints of wine, violet, or brown. They exude a very characteristic old rose fragrance. The foliage, a very dark green, adds even more charm to this beautiful old rose.

Vigorous, disease-resistant, hardy, and easy to care for: these are qualities that justify this Gallica rose being among the oldest varieties to have survived and still be appreciated today. For its merits, it has even been awarded an “Award of Garden Merit” in Britain. This bushy bush can be used in many ways in the garden. Its compact silhouette, standing at 1.2 metres in all directions, is suitable for pot cultivation or can be integrated into a flowerbed with white-flowering bushes that will perfectly highlight it.

Rose ‘Charles de Mills’

The old rose ‘Jenny Duval’: flowers with an incredible evolving colour.

‘Jenny Duval’ is a fragrant old rose, offering a powdery and peppery fragrance. During its single flowering between June and July, it boasts extraordinary double flowers with changing colours: initially cherry red, they turn to magenta pink, then mauve, and finally an astonishing blue-grey as they fade.

‘Jenny Duval’ is a Gallica rose, the ancestor of most varieties found in our European gardens. It is vigorous, sturdy, easy to care for, and well resistant to cold. Notably, it is also low in thorns. This old bush rose, reaching 1.20m in height and 1m in spread, will fit in anywhere: in pots to green up terraces and balconies, in perennial borders, or at the front of a flowering shrub hedge. It thrives in both sunny and partially shaded areas, particularly enjoying cooler climates.

Rose ‘Jenny Duval’

The old rose ‘Emperor of Morocco’: the elegance of a dark red flowering

The ‘Empereur du Maroc’ rose is a repeat flowering hybrid old variety, considered the first variety to feature dark red blooms. Its double, cup-shaped flowers display a beautiful velvety dark red, before taking on brown and purplish notes with almost black reflections. Flowering occurs abundantly in early summer, followed by a more discreet display in late summer, around September. After flowering, small decorative fruits (hips) take over to brighten the garden and delight birds during the cold season. In terms of fragrance, the notes are powerful, heady, and fruity.

This variety will thrive in a not too humid climate, allowing its foliage to maintain good health. This small bush reaches 1.20m in height and 90cm in spread, making it perfect for a semi-shaded border, accompanied by other roses in pastel tones for a beautiful harmony of colours.

‘Empereur du Maroc’ rose

The climbing rose ‘Mermaid’: a repeat flowering variety with a tall stature

The climbing rose ‘Mermaid’ is among the most widely planted and ornamental varieties. This repeat flowering variety rewards us with its nearly continuous flowering from June until the first frosts. It is adorned with large single dog-rose flowers, a sulphur yellow enhanced by a bright yellow centre and a nest of orange stamens. True suns in the garden! Its light fragrance reveals citrus notes, adding even more vitality to this charming variety.

Born slightly later than the other listed old roses, it is thought to be a descendant of a wild Asian rose. It boasts a fine list of qualities: vigour, tolerance to summer heat, ease of maintenance, disease resistance, and tolerance to shade in warm climates. Only severe frosts or excessive lime in the soil are likely to trouble our rose. Its attributes have even been recognised in England by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Slow to grow in its early years, ‘Mermaid’ will reach about 8m in height at maturity with a spread of 4m. Its long prickly stems can be trained to cover a wall or an unsightly structure. It can also be used to dress up an old tree.

Climbing rose ‘Mermaid’

The old rose ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’: an uncommon colour

The old rose ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’ surprises us with the colour of its double flowers: its petals with curled edges reveal a dark satin purple-red that is very elegant. As they mature, the roses turn violet, tinged with grey-blue. An original colour palette, with a royal charm, that is rare among roses. This variety is indeed one of the few considered to have blue roses. The flowering is unique: it occurs abundantly between June and July. It is also a fragrant old rose, exuding a powdery and peppery fragrance.

‘Cardinal de Richelieu’ is a descendant of the Gallica rose. It forms a round and flexible bush with a natural habit, about 1.20m in height and 1m in spread. Its semi-evergreen foliage displays a rich, somewhat matte green, and its branches are almost devoid of prickles.

This rose is resilient, low-maintenance, and hardy down to -15°C. It tolerates partial shade, but does not appreciate scorching sun. Grow it in isolation to allow all the spotlight to be on it, for example in the middle of a well-kept lawn or in a lovely pot.

Rose ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’

The old rose ‘Souvenir du Dr Jamain’: versatility and long flowering

The old rose ‘Souvenir du Dr Jamain’ is a large bush that can reach 2.5m in height and 1.5m in spread. With many advantages, it was considered one of the best repeat flowering hybrid varieties of its time. Its particularly long flowering indeed lasts from May to October. It produces large double roses in a dark, velvety wine-purple colour, enhanced by a beige centre as they fade. The flowers reveal a very pronounced heady fragrance of old rose.

Versatile, this rose can be trained as either a bush or a climber, as long as it is protected from the scorching rays of the sun. It will even thrive in shaded or northern exposures. Its almost inermous branches (thornless) allow it to be grown near an entrance or in high-traffic areas.

Rose ‘Souvenir du Dr Jamain’

The old rose ‘Versicolor’: a stunning variegated rose

The old rose ‘Versicolor’ forms a charming compact bush of 1.20m in all directions. But it is especially for its variegated flowering that we love it: in June-July, our rose produces an abundance of semi-double light pink flowers, randomly striated with dark pink, leaning towards red. All enhanced by beautiful dark green foliage. A spectacle that does not go unnoticed in the garden! The fragrance is equally impressive: it is that of old roses, pure and quite powerful.

This variety possesses all the qualities of the Gallica rose, of which it is a mutation. Easy-going, low-maintenance, robust, and not very susceptible to diseases, ‘Versicolor’ will easily find its place in the garden.

It will integrate into a beautiful bed in shades of pink or in a flowering hedge, accompanied by other bushes. Showcase it in a lovely pot on the terrace or balcony, or cultivate it in groups of three to brighten up a rather dull lawn.

Rose ‘Versicolor’

Banks' rose ‘Alba Plena’: a giant climber with luminous white flowering

The Banks rose ‘Alba Plena’, a climbing rose, blooms early at the end of spring, between May and June. It then transforms into a true cascade of flowers, almost obscuring its lush foliage. Its numerous double flowers, resembling small fluffy pom-poms, display a delicate cream white. They emit a sweet scent of violet.

This liana, almost thornless, will be trained to climb the tallest structures, which it will adorn with charm. With spectacular dimensions, it reaches 12 metres in height at ripeness and 4 to 6 metres in spread at ground level. Its growth is particularly rapid, as its young stems can reach 3 to 4 metres in just one season.

‘Alba Plena’ thrives in warmth and sunlight: it is an ideal rose for Mediterranean or oceanic climates. Low-maintenance and not particularly susceptible to diseases, it will tolerate the driest soils in summer. Further north, up to the Paris region, it will require a sheltered and well-sunny position to flourish.

Banks rose ‘Alba Plena’