Rosa x floribunda Hansestadt Rostock - Floribunda Rose

The 'Hansestadt Rostock' Clustered Flower Standard Rose (also known as the Mythical or Queen Bee rose) forms a kind of small tree with a single trunk, and its rounded crown is covered in flowers from May-June until autumn. The plant is floriferous, particularly vigorous, and resistant to diseases. Its naturally shaped double roses, gathered in bouquets, display a lovely palette of orange, apricot, and amber tones, fading to a creamy yellow when they wither. Their fragrance, rather light, reminds one of both honey and lemon. An excellent variety, gentle and warm, to be installed prominently in the garden or even on the terrace.

Standard roses are obtained by grafting a variety onto a single and upright stem belonging to a different rose (Rosa canina, R. laxa, or R. multiflora). The grafting is done at a certain height, here at 60-70 cm (24-28in) above the ground. In very cold regions, it may be useful to protect the rootstock during winter.

The 'Hansestadt Rostock' Rose is a German creation by Tantau, dating back to 2004 and launched in 2010. This excellent rose has received numerous awards in international competitions*. Grafted onto a stem, it has a characteristic upright habit. Its crown is composed of vigorous and highly branched thorny stems. They bear healthy deciduous foliage, divided into glossy leaflets of a rather dark green. Its flowering is abundant from May until October-November. Its wide corollas, measuring 6 to 8 cm (2 to 3in), are double, slightly disheveled, gathered in large clusters of 10 to 15 flowers. The tightly packed yellow-orange buds open into round cups with a somewhat blurry pattern, not fully open, with 30 petals. Their colour evolves between soft orange, golden orange, and cream.

The Hansestadt Rostock' Standard Rose can be planted prominently, in the centre of a flower bed, among perennials or low bushes, in a row along a pathway, near a terrace, or even in a large pot on a balcony. It can also be planted in groups of 3, arranged in a triangle, or as a solitary plant on a lawn. It pairs well with perennial geraniums (Geranium 'Blue Cloud', 'Anne Folkard', 'Nimbus', 'Orion'), bellflowers (lactiflora, rapunculoides), catmints, snapdragons, foxgloves etc. Standard roses are perfect for adding volume to bush or ground cover rose beds.

*Awards: Gold Rose Paris 2011, 1st Prize Paris 2011, Lyon Certificate 2011, Paris Journalists' Prize 2011, Gold Medal Monza 2011, Gold Rose Baden-Baden 2011, Gold Medal Baden-Baden 2011, La Haye Public Prize 2011, La Haye Certificate 2011, Monaco Certificate 2012.