Rosa Impératrice Farah - Hybrid Tea Rose

The 'Impératrice Farah' Rose is a modern hybrid tea rose, as elegant and distinguished as the empress it is named after. It produces large turbinate flowers whose colour evolves surprisingly throughout the day under the effect of the sun. The petals start white-cream, then a lovely fuchsia-pink tone appears on the edges, with the flower ending up distinctly bicoloured, pure white with a silver reverse. The flowering of this variety is perpetual, and its flowers, which do not change much once cut, are very long-lasting in a vase. In the garden, this vigour bush requires a sheltered spot from the rain and some care during the season.

'Impératrice Farah' or 'Delivour' is a modern bush rose with large flowers created by Delbard in 1986, initially marketed under the name 'Strawberry Parfait' and then renamed after the Empress of Iran in 1992. This variety has won 8 medals in international competitions, including the gold medal in Rome 1992. 'Imperatrice Farah' is a beautiful upright and slightly stiff bush that reaches about 1.20 m (4ft) in height and 60 cm (24in) in width at maturity, with rapid growth. It produces sturdy and thorny branches that bear elegant foliage, a light and vibrant green, sometimes affected by black spot disease in humid climates. Throughout the beautiful season and until the doors of autumn, if faded flowers are removed, the plant produces numerous pointed buds, white with red edges, which bloom into large bicoloured flowers measuring 10-12 cm (4-5in), turbinate in shape, with tubular petals typical of hybrid tea roses. They are solitary, carried by long new shoots, or emerged from 2-year-old stems. The perpetual flowering is also characterised by a more or less pronounced but pleasant fragrance. Note that the flowers of this variety are quite sensitive to rain but very long-lasting in a vase.

This tall 'Impératrice Farah' rose, with its unique colour and sweet fragrance, is ideal as a background for a bed of roses or light perennials or as a solitary plant in a well-maintained small garden. It is also perfect for large monochrome borders, as its highly contrasting colour can be challenging to match. To hide its sometimes bare base, it can be companion planted with white, pink or purple roses, white or pink panicle phlox, red penstemons, or fuchsia pink shrubby salvias. It can also be backed by silver foliage (Artemisias, seaside cinerarias) or dark foliage of boxwoods, Distylium x Blue Cascade, or cotoneaster. Its cut flowers, with good longevity, are naturally perfect in bouquets.