Rosa x rugosa 'Roseraie de l'Haÿ' - Rugosa Rose

The 'Roseraie de l'Haÿ' old rose first captivates with the powerful and sweet fragrance of its fully double roses, then with their intense colour. This deep purple-pink stands out against light green, wavy foliage that turns golden yellow in autumn. Like its ancestor, Rosa rugosa, it produces very thorny stems and forms a vigorous and disease-free bush. Its beautiful roses bloom abundantly in May and June and again in September. Essential in a defensive or landscape hedge and very hardy, this variety tolerates salt spray and sandy soils perfectly.

A magnificent horticultural achievement, the 'Roseraie de l'Haÿ' rose was born in 1901 and created by the Cochet brothers. It is derived, among others, from the Rosa rugosa, the Japanese Rose native to the Far East, a resident of coasts and sandy dunes endowed with remarkable hardiness. 'Roseraie de l'Haÿ' grows as a rounded bush, reaching about 2m (7ft) in all directions. Its upright and highly branched stems are brown and bristling with thorns. In late spring and summer, they bear solitary or clustered roses, 8 to 10cm (3 to 4in) in diameter, double, with a flat cup shape. The very pointed buds gradually open into flowers displaying various shades of red, dark pink, carmine, crimson, purple, and fuchsia, fading to violet. These hues are accompanied by a shiny and velvety texture and an intoxicating fragrance of old rose, honey, and cloves, perceptible from several metres away. The foliage, abundant down to the base of the plant, consists of wavy, finely cut leaves, relatively light green and shiny. As the flowering ends, the branches become beige at the end of the season, and the leaves turn a beautiful golden yellow. This rose does not produce fruit and tends to sucker.

The passion for old roses is widespread and fully justified: these roses are not only the ancestors of our modern roses but also the glory of our gardens. Rosa x rugosa 'Roseraie de l'Haÿ' is a robust rose, ideal in a bocage or defensive hedge, as the balance between foliage and flowers is perfect, and it forms a prickly mass that is difficult to cross. It can be associated with cotinus, lilacs, mock oranges, buddleias, or even viburnums, shrubs with a rustic character and just as easy to grow. Its intense and floral fragrance is worthy of a scented garden. Finally, it is an excellent coastal bush to be planted in the front row but in moist soil.