Rosa Comte de Chambord - Portland Rose

The 'Comte de Chambord' old rose is one of the most beautiful Portland roses, as well as one of the most flowering. Very recurrent and highly fragrant, it is perfect for small gardens and terrace decoration. Its flowers are full, with an intense lilac pink color, opening flat and in quarters. Its very thorny vegetation shows an upright habit and is adorned with abundant light green foliage. Its flowers are also very beautiful in bouquets. A fertile soil will support the autumn flowering.

The 'Comte de Chambord' rose is an old horticultural variety, obtained in 1860 by Moreau-Robert. It comes from the 'Duchesse de Portland' rose, a spontaneous hybrid discovered in the South of Naples in 1800, and the 'Baronne Prévost' rose. Not very tall, it forms a bush with an upright habit without being stiff, which will not exceed 90cm (35.4 n) to 1m (3ft 4in) in height and 80 to 90cm (35.4in) in width. Its deciduous and abundant foliage is carried by strong and very thorny stems. Its colour is rather light green, and it has a good disease resistance. It blooms abundantly around mid-June, then sporadically during summer (in cool climates) and in September-October, once it is well established in a fertile soil. It produces large bouquets of very double roses, about 7cm (2.8in) wide, with more than 40 petals, very silky, more or less curled, arranged in quarters. Their colour, very rich, blends pink, lilac, and purple. The fragrance of its roses is sumptuous, with both sweet and fruity notes. Its flowering will be more generous in a cool and fertile soil, and it is particularly suitable for cold climates.

The use of the 'Comte de Chambord' rose is diverse, from romantic bouquets to large pots on the terrace or balcony, to small perennial flowerbeds that will not compete with its roots. Its roses go well with the silver foliage of Santolinias, Stachys lanata, white foxgloves, and paniculate Gypsophila. It will also thrive when planted alone, along a path, to enjoy its fragrance. If you have enough space, English, old, or shrub roses are magnificent when planted in groups of three plants. They will grow together to form a beautiful opulent mass that will bloom even more generously.