Rosa Basyes Purple

'Basye's Purple' Rose is a rare, dark and magnificent rose, born in 1968, in the USA, from a happy marriage between Rosa rugosa and Rosa foliolosa. It is unique in that it forms black stems, a dark purple juvenile foliage, and bears large solitary flowers, simple in their form, but painted with a sumptuous purple-black fading into burgundy red, a colour magnified by a silky texture. They renew themselves throughout the beautiful season on a large, slightly thorny, very vigorous bush, perfectly hardy, also free from diseases. When autumn comes, its grape-coloured fruits contrast beautifully with the golden yellow foliage.

Rosa 'Basye's Purple' has the genes of Rosa rugosa, a vigorous rose from the Far East, forming impenetrable thickets due to its dense and very thorny vegetation, and Rosa foliolosa, a curious botanical species, low and very suckering originating from the east of North America. 'Basye's Purple' is a creation of Dr Robert E. Basye, a Texan mathematics professor, passionate about roses. The plant forms a large bush or a small climber with an upright and dense habit, reaching 1.50m (4ft 11in) to 2m (6ft 7in) in height, with a width of 1m (3ft 4in). Almost all parts of this rose have a connection to the colour black. The foliage, abundant down to the base of the plant, is composed of leaves with a crinkled appearance, with serrated edges, divided into 5 to 9 fairly dark green leaflets tinged with purple, shiny. Its beautiful single and solitary flowers, quite large, composed of 5 very wide and thin petals, of a crimson purple colour maturing into burgundy, have the appearance of velvet and silk. They bloom from summer to autumn, but are devoid of fragrance. Its large dark red fruits are fleshy and edible, very rich in vitamin C.

Very hardy and almost maintenance-free, it is perfect for gardens without gardeners. If the passion for botanical roses and their direct hybrids is not widespread, it is fully justified, especially in poor soils or under difficult climates: these roses are not only the parents of our modern roses, but also generally more robust and very reliable. Rosa 'Basye's Purple' is a floriferous, powerful but light rose, which captures attention from spring to late autumn. It will find its place in a hedgerow or defensive bocage, a slightly wild garden, accompanied by a mauve rose ('Rhapsody in Blue', 'Veilchenblau'), a colour that suits its theatrical style so well. It can be accompanied by bushes or spindle trees for autumn colours, lilacs with their fragrant spring blooms, mock oranges for the same reason, but also viburnums that show a very accommodating character like him. Finally, it is a tolerant shrub towards the soil, splendid also when trained as a small climber.