Rosa Violette Parfumée

Rosa Violette Parfumée is a modern hybrid tea rose that has been awarded numerous times for its exceptional colour and remarkable fragrance. The name of this variety embodies the essence of the flower. The colour of this rose is impressive, shining in shades of violet-purple to silvery-mauve, with hints of old rose and violet. Its spiralled petals release a persistent fragrance of old roses and violets with hints of tea rose. In the garden, it is a generous, healthy, and precious bush, perfect for adding a personal touch to a bed. Its cut flowers are beautiful in a simple bouquet.

Rosa Violette Parfumée holds an impressive record that many envy: Gold Medal and Perfume Cup at Paris-Bagatelle 1995, Gold Medal and Grand Prix of Perfume in Baden-Baden, Bronze Medal in Madrid, Jarditec Trophy in Paris (Association of Horticultural Journalists Prize (Rose of the Year) in 1997, Prize for the most fragrant rose in Portland (USA) in 2000, and finally Gold Medal for the most beautiful blue rose in Rome in 2002.

This is a modern bush rose with large clustered flowers, created in 1992 by François Dorieux. It is a bushy and erect shrub, reaching about 1m (3ft) in height and 70cm (28in) in width at maturity. It has a rapid growth rate. It produces strong, thorny branches that bear dense foliage consisting of large, thick, and serrated dark green leaflets. Throughout summer, the plant continuously produces medium-sized flowers, 10cm (4in) in diameter, with a typical turbinate shape of hybrid tea roses. They are composed of 25 to 30 satin petals arranged in a spiral, in a rare colour ranging from violet-purple to silvery-mauve. In full sun, the flowers tend to have a more purplish-pink hue, with the blue components of the colour being revealed in partial shade or cloudy weather. The flowers are gathered in large clusters at the end of long shoots from the current year or by those that emerge from 2-year-old stems. They will bloom until October if faded flowers are regularly removed.

Rosa Violette Parfumée forms a precious bush with a robust appearance, ideal for planting in beds, in groups of 3, or in a large pot to adorn a patio or balcony. It blends well with light perennials and annuals such as panicled gypsophila, bellflowers, panicled phlox, or tall foxgloves. It can be prominently displayed in front of a boxwood or yew screen, or alternatively, surrounded by a miniature hedge or a carefully organised maze, as in Italian or French gardens. Above all, it is a nostalgic and captivating rose with its faded and changing silk-like colour, just like the Charles de Gaulle variety, a rose that is neither violet nor pink, which can be paired, for example, with purple or pink flowers (Aster 'Winston S. Churchill', Hemerocallis 'Grape Velvet', Rosa The Prince or R. Nuit de Chine). It can be placed near the house to enjoy its fragrance, alone or combined with the Charles Darwin rose, which wavers between orange, yellow, and cream shades. Its roses are stunning in bouquets, paired with lilies in summer or asters in autumn.