Rosa x multibracteata Cerise Bouquet

Rosa 'Cerise Bouquet' was obtained in 1958 by the German rose breeder Kordes. It will delight enthusiasts: its dimensions are impressive, its branches are armed with formidable thorns, its habit is widely spreading, and its summer flowering is as prolonged as it is brilliant. Its bright pink-red double flowers cover long branches that bend under their weight. They bloom for several weeks in June-July, and sometimes more sporadically in autumn. It is perfect in a large garden, isolated on a large lawn, as a backdrop for large flower beds, or in a defensive hedge.

Rosa 'Cerise Bouquet' is the result of a cross-breeding between R. multibracteacta, native to eastern China, and the 'Crimson Glory' cultivar. This particularly vigorous rose received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

It is a very large bush, with an upright and widely spreading habit, as wide as it is tall. It bears long, thick branches, which are slightly stiff when they are not carrying flowers. The heavily thorned stems tend to branch at right angles after pruning. It easily reaches 3m (10ft) in all directions, with a rapid growth rate when planted in deep and fertile soil. Its disease-resistant deciduous foliage is a matte glaucous green, divided into rounded leaflets. Flowering mainly takes place in summer, from June to July depending on the climate. It lasts for a minimum of 4 weeks. It takes the form of generous bouquets produced on short secondary branches appearing along the main branches. The pendulous flowers, 7cm (3in) in diameter, dangle on long petioles. They are semi-double to double, with frilly rosette-shaped blooms composed of 20 to 39 petals. The centre of the corolla is occupied by a crown of golden yellow stamens. Their colour is a very bright carmine-pink, and they have a beautiful fragrance. This rose requires deep, moist, and fertile soil to fully thrive.

The 'Cerise Bouquet' rose can be trained on a support, up to 4m (13ft) in height, or allowed to grow freely as a 2 to 3m (7 to 10ft) bush in all directions. It is preferably suited for a medium to large-sized garden, away from high traffic areas to avoid its thorns. It can be planted in a large flower bed or in a rustic or defensive hedge. It can create a beautiful ensemble with other large roses such as the easy-to-grow Rosa complicata, R. californica 'Plena', R. rubiginosa (sweet briar), or R. rubrifolia with purple leaves. Many other combinations are possible, with easy-to-grow shrubs such as amelanchiers, Elaeagnus 'Zempin', deciduous euonymus, white spireas, ornamental fruit trees (prunus, malus, pyrus), and viburnums. Its spectacular habit and flowering deserve to be displayed in isolation, on a lawn, where it will provide a dazzling display in summer. It is a very healthy shrub, requiring no maintenance once well established.

Tips: provide sturdy bamboo supports to prevent its long stems from collapsing under the weight of the flowers, especially if the bush is planted at the back of a flower bed.