Rosa Petite de Terre Franche - Hybrid Musk rose

Rosa Petite de Terre Franche Hybrid Musk rose is a magnificent plant that has a place in every rose lover's garden. In June, this beautiful lax bush with its lush foliage is truly overwhelmed by clusters of small, semi-double flowers in shades of pink to white. If you remove faded blooms, the plant will bloom again 3 or 4 times until October. The flowers are long-lasting, and their fragrance diffuses in the garden on hot days. This highly disease-resistant rose also produces attractive hips and once established, it requires no watering. The vigorous plant develops in a very elegant manner and can be trained as a small climber.

The Petite de Terre Franche Rose is a variety bred by Ivan Louette (Lens Roses) in 1996. It is descended, among others, from the musk rose (Rosa x moschata), a spontaneous hybrid probably originating from Asia Minor or the Middle East. Like polyanthas and floribundas, roses in this family produce flowers in clusters, but their colours are more refined and they have a more flexible and graceful habit. 'Petite de Terre Franche' shows rapid and vigorous growth, with an upright, bushy, slightly trailing, spreading habit. When regularly pruned, this bush reaches about 1.50 m (5ft) high and 1.25 m (4ft) wide. However, the long thorny stems that emerge from the centre of the bush can reach up to 2.50 m (8ft) high. If left unpruned, it can grow up to 2.50 m (8ft) in all directions, or even 3 m (10ft). The leaves are divided into dark green leaflets with a bluish hue. They are generally free from diseases. The flowering begins in June, slightly later than most roses. It takes the form of large pyramidal clusters composed of numerous small, semi-double flowers, 4 cm (2in) in diameter. Their colour is a beautiful carmine pink that fades over time. The centre of the corollas offers its centre of golden stamens to bees and other pollinators quite late. The flowers are followed by numerous small fruits called hips, which turn reddish-orange when ripe. The fragrance is not produced by the flowers but by the floral buds, which are covered in small scent glands. The hardiness of this rose is estimated at -15 °C (5°F).

This magnificent Petite de Terre Franche shrub rose thrives in well-prepared soil and requires no pruning other than the removal of dead wood. Before planting, choose its location and how you will use it: as a large free-standing bush or as a small climber against a fence or house wall. Plant it in a flowered hedge with other botanical or heritage roses (Cornelia, Felicia, Bouquet parfait, Rosa complicata...), small lilacs (Syringa microphylla superba), mock oranges, flowering cherry trees, or Japanese quince. Also consider planting it with a viticella group clematis, which is also easy to grow.