Rosa x persica 'BABYLON EYES ( Persica Hybrid)

The Maestro Babylon Eyes Rose seduces with its countless clusters of semi-double, swirling flowers in a lovely fresh pink adorned with a contrasting red-pink centre. Just like other astonishing roses of the Babylon Eyes series, it is living proof that the queen of flowers still has surprises in store for us. Derived, among others, from the mythical Persian rose, this hybrid has an early, abundant and perpetual flowering, great robustness, and natural resistance to rose diseases. The plant tolerates water scarcity well, and its beautiful glossy foliage enhances the flowering. With a compact habit, this very pretty rose is suitable for gardens of all sizes and works wonders in a large pot.

Rosa x persica Maestro Babylon Eyes descends, among others, from a wild rose discovered in 1784 by the botanist André Michaux in the Zagros Mountains, straddling Iran and Iraq. The unique feature of its bicoloured flowers has since inspired rosarians to attempt hybridisation with other cosmopolitan species and varieties. After years of research and selection, new and very interesting cultivars have emerged throughout Europe. 'Maestro Babylon Eyes', launched in 2019, is one of these varieties with exotic charm, still little known here. It is a shrub with an upright and bushy habit, forming a ball, not exceeding 60-70 cm (24-28in) in all directions. Its branches are moderately thorny and adorned with small foliage, a fairly dark green with a slight gloss, very healthy. The flowering starts quite early, in May-June, sometimes as early as March-April in warm climates. It is abundant and regularly renews until September-October, if the soil is not too dry in the heart of summer. The semi-open cup-shaped flowers measure 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3in) in diameter. They are highly visited by bees. Their pink colour remains relatively stable, hardly fading over time, unlike many other Babylon Eyes roses. The flower's centre transitions from dark pink to almost red. The plant is devoid of leaves in winter.

Exotic, hardy, and water-frugal, Maestro Babylon Eyes is a rose with many advantages that will seduce gardeners without a garden or those struggling with a dry soil in summer and frozen in winter. It can be adopted from the North to the South of our country, in a large border, in a bed, or in a large rockery. Babylon Eyes roses can be paired with each other and with many other plants such as garden irises, lavender, cistus, rosemary, and catmints in dry soil. In moister soil, it can be accompanied, for example, by pink or white foxgloves, catmints, or pretty grasses like Muhlenbergia capillaris or Stipa capillata. On the patio or balcony, it can be surrounded, for example, by coastal cineraria, alstroemerias, agapanthus, or pinks.

Obtention Interplant launched in 2016 - The Sweet Babylon Eyes rose was awarded at the 17th International New Roses Competition in Barcelona in 2017 as the most promising new variety.