Rosa rugosa Pink Grootendorst

The 'Pink Grootendorst' Rose is a strong horticultural hybrid resulting from the rugosa rose and the polyantha rose. And as "good blood cannot lie", it is a truly problem-free, very floriferous, perpetual, never sick plant. It develops into a vigorous and bushy shrub, which bears small bright pink to antique pink roses, double, with fringed petals, which make them resemble carnations. They are gathered in bouquets that adorn a beautiful light to medium green waffled foliage throughout the beautiful season. The plant is very easy to grow, very hardy, and tolerates sea spray and poor soils well.

A magnificent horticultural success, the 'Pink Grootendorst' Rose was born in Holland in 1923, from the hands of Grootendorst. It is derived, among others, from the Rosa rugosa 'Rubra', the Japanese Rose native to the Far East, inhabiting coasts and sandy dunes, with remarkable hardiness.

The 'Pink Grootendorst' rose quickly develops into a dense bush, which can reach 1.20m (3ft 11in) to 1.50m (4ft 11in), sometimes more, in height and 1m (3ft 4in) to 1.20m (3ft 11in) in spread. Its stems, straight and highly branched, are brown and covered in prickles. They bear roses grouped in clusters, 3 to 4cm (1.6in) in diameter, double, curiously fringed, in June-July and then in late summer. The buds, very pointed, gradually open into flowers displaying various shades of pink, sometimes pale and warm or a vintage pink. They are not fragrant and do not produce hips. The deciduous foliage, abundant down to the base of the plant, is composed of waffled leaves, cut into fairly light, shiny leaflets. And in October, as the flowering ends, the branches become beige and the leaves turn a beautiful golden yellow. All rugosa roses tend to sucker.

The passion for old roses is both widespread and well justified: these roses are not only the parents of our modern roses, but also and always the glory of our gardens. Rosa rugosa 'Pink Grootendorst' is a vigorous and well-armed rose, ideal in a landscape or defensive hedge, as the balance between foliage and flowers is perfect and it forms a thorny mass that is difficult to cross. It can be associated with its white and red siblings, the varieties 'F.J Grootendorst' and 'White Grootendorst', but also with Cotinus, lilac, mock orange, buddleias, or even with viburnums, shrubs with a rustic character and just as easy to grow. Finally, it is an excellent seaside shrub, to be planted in the front line, but in a soil that remains somewhat moist.