Rosa Casanova - Hybrid Tea rose

The Large-flowered Rose 'Casanova' is an ode to the charm of the famous seducer. Its large, beautifully formed flowers are a pale yellow shaded with straw and chamois, and lightly scented. This hybrid tea captivates with its graceful silhouette, dark green foliage and almost thorn-free stems. Being perpetual, it flowers in waves throughout the season and offers splendid roses for cutting.

'Casanova' is a modern hybrid tea, a category of roses prized for their large flowers borne on long stems and their perpetual flowering. It is the result of cross-breeding between 'Queen Elizabeth' (Lammerts, before 1951) and 'Perfecta' (Kordes, 1957), two excellent varieties renowned for their beauty and vigour. Selected in 1957, it was introduced in the UK by Fisons Horticulture Ltd. and in Australia by Langbecker in 1967.

This is a shrub rose with an upright habit, reaching approximately 1.30 m in height. Its nearly thornless stems make pruning and handling the flowers easier. Its dense, elegant, dark green foliage highlights the brilliance of its roses. The flowers are large and full, spiralled, composed of 26 to 40 petals, and their diameter can reach 15 cm. Their pale yellow colour evolves, shifting from straw yellow to chrome yellow before taking on delicate chamois highlights. Their centre, shaped like a pointed cone, is typical of hybrid teas. Their scent is moderate, subtly musky, but present. This rose is perpetual; it first flowers in May-June, then in successive waves throughout the summer. The autumn flowering is generous.

With its large, luminous flowers, Rosa Casanova brings a warm elegance to the garden. Of good vigour, it integrates easily into shrub borders. This variety pairs wonderfully with the Rose 'Lichfield Angel', with its white roses tinged with apricot in bud, which open into delicate cups. Alongside it, the sumptuous 'Lady of Shalott', with its orange flowers tinted with copper, creates a warm and luminous composition. To lighten the whole and add movement, opt for the lavender-blue spikes of Agastache 'Blue Fortune'. For a border, plant Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis), which unfurls its velvety foliage and clouds of yellow-green flowers. Together, these plants create a scene where the colours intertwine in perfect harmony. Its cut flowers hold up well and are perfect for bouquets.