Rosa moschata Annelies - Musk Rose

Rosa Annelies is a beautiful modern creation that combines the qualities of musk roses with the resistance of recent varieties. It is a beautiful bush with a natural appearance, producing large bouquets of romantic and plump rosettes, ranging from powdery pink to white. The flowers are slightly fragrant. The show continues from late spring to the first frost, on a vigorous and healthy plant. This rose is low-maintenance and easy to grow. It can be grown as a bush, in a hedge, in a flower bed, or trained as a small climber. For all these reasons, it deserves a place in every garden.

Rosa Annelies is a creation by L. Lens that was created in 2000. It is derived, among others, from the musk rose (Rosa moschata), a spontaneous hybrid probably originating from Asia Minor or the Middle East. Similar to polyanthas and floribundas, roses in this family produce flowers gathered in bouquets, but their colours are more refined and they have a more flexible and graceful habit. Rosa Annelies shows rapid and vigorous growth, as well as a dense and branched bushy habit. Ultimately, this bush can reach about 1.5m (5ft) in height and 1.25m (4ft) in spread, depending on the growing conditions. Its development will be slightly greater in mild climates than in colder regions. It can climb up to 2.5m (8ft) in height. Its flexible and thorny stems carry leaves divided into ovate leaflets of a fairly light green colour. The foliage is generally free of diseases. Flowering begins in June, and repeats in successive waves until the first frost if the soil does not dry out too much in summer. It takes the form of long and large pyramidal bouquets composed of numerous small double flowers measuring 4cm (2in) in diameter. Each one opens in a tender pink and then fades almost to white. They emit a slight floral fragrance. The hardiness of this rose is estimated at -15°C (5°F).

The Annelies hybrid musk rose was awarded the Silver Medal in Rome in 2000.

Rosa Annelies thrives in well-prepared soil. It does not require pruning, except for the removal of dead wood. Plant it in a flowering hedge with other botanical or old roses ('Cornelia', 'Felicia', Bouquet Parfait, Rosa complicata, etc.), modest-sized lilacs (Syringa microphylla 'Superba'), mock oranges, or Japanese quinces. Consider combining it with a viticella group clematis, which are just as easy to grow.