‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose (Old Garden Roses)

‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose belongs to glorious and historical Hybrid Perpetual Roses, that is, it is ranked in the Old Garden Roses.

It saw the light of this world the distant 1860 and to this day still remains a rose worthy admiration.

But it does not only admired thanks to the venerable age and constitution. It is still admired because it was one of the first roses that their color is “blueish”.

And indeed its roses are mauve or mauve – purple.

Combining the fragrance and grace of Hybrid Perpetual roses with the repeat flowering of modern varieties, it is one of the few hundred roses from the 19th century that are still cultivated today.

… And, as the editorial team of “Kalliergia” modestly estimates, it will continue to be sought after for planting by rose lovers until the end of time.

‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose (Old Garden Roses)

The course of the creation of the ‘Reine des Violettes’ rose variety is given below, while here we provide some brief identifying details and its basic characteristics.

Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Rosa
Scientific Name: Rosa ‘Reine des Violettes’
Common Names: Reine des Violettes, Queen of the Violets
Horticultural Group: Hybrid Perpetual
Plant Breeder: M. Mille-Mallet, Amiens – France 1860

This Hybrid Perpetual Rose variety is suitable for:

‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose (Old Garden Roses)

The hybrid rose ‘Reine des Violettes’ is considered to be a tetraploid variety 2n=28 (4×7). The hybrid ‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose comes from the Hybrid Perpetual variety of 1849, Rosa ‘Pope Pius the Ninth’. It is one of about 3000 varieties of Hybrid Perpetual, created in the 19th century.
Its breeder, Mille-Mallet (or Millet-Mallet and/or Melet-Malet), who is said to have developed another important rose variety, ‘Triomphe d’Amiens’ (1859), is a relatively unknown French grower from Amiens.

The Queen of the Violets Rose is a medium-to-high-growth woody deciduous perennial shrub. In terms of size, the height of the plant reaches 1.8 to 2.4 m (6-7.8 ft) while its diameter varies between 1.2 and 1.8 m (4-6 ft). It has a hemispherical shape, an upright appearance and an average density canopy, symmetrical with irregular outline.

The dominant decorative feature of the plant is its exceptionally fragrant and attractive purple or violet – purple roses that appear during its repeated and long-lasting flowering – flowering that begins at the end of spring and ends in October (120+ days). It starts to bloom with an explosion of flowers in May-June, has sporadic flowering in July-August, and a remarkably intense flowering in September-October. The plant’s lifespan exceeds 25 years.

‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose (Old Garden Roses)

‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose is a shrub moderately branched with shoots that have little or no thorns. Its leaves are composite, consisting mainly of 5 leaflets, oval – ellipsoid and serrated. The tip of the leaflets ends at a acute peak while their color is glossy deep green or glaucous – green.

Roses are formed at the top of their annual shoots, 3 to 5 per stem. They are double, medium sized with a diameter of 7 to 8 cm (2.8-3.1 in). They consist of 70 to 75 petals, of velvety texture and color varying from mauve, mauve – purple to purple – red.

The intensity and exact color tint is affected by a determining factor. Who is this;

We will learn it right afterwards, after we have exaggeratedly elevated the suspense of the patient reader to the heights.

Since the suspense has peaked – and the stubborn reader paradoxically remains on the “Kalliergia” site – we can now tell him: the intensity and exact tintof the color are primarily influenced by the rose’s exposure. It means that depending on how less direct sunlight receives the ‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose, so more intense and mauve the colors of the roses.

Of course, this does not mean that the plant tolerant in full shade. Instead, it is tolerant the partial shade, and partial shade means the plant’s ability to receive at least 4 hours of direct sunlight. And of course, like all the roses and Queen of the Violets Rose enjoys planting and in full sun exposure.

Finally, there is a general principle regarding the choice of plant exposure, which is that the hotter the climate, the more half-shade planting sites are preferred.

‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose (Old Garden Roses)

Generally, it could be said that all Hybrid Perpetual roses are extremely tolerant to cold. The same is also true for the ‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose, which can be planted in areas where the minimum temperatures are quite low, ranging from -25 to -30 °C (-13 to -22 °F – USDA Hardiness Zone 4b).

In relation to the soil, the Queen of the Violets Rose is recommended to be planted in fertile and rich in organic matter loamy soils, which additionally have excellent drainage.

In terms of soil pH the appropriate range is relatively large, ranging between 5.6 and 7.8. However, it thrives in soils that have an acidic to slightly acidic reaction, ie at pH values ranging from 5.6 to 6.5.

‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose (Old Garden Roses)

The Queen of the Violets Rose offers a lot to modern gardening and landscape architecture. And indeed it offers, because it has an extremely strong fragrance, repeated blooming and still it is vigor and robust as a plant.

Thus, it could generally be said that ‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose:

• It is cultivated for its flower, which as a cut flower can last in the vases for up to 5 days

• It is used in the garden as a plant of particular interest

• It is used in the garden planting in groups of three

• It is used in the garden in conmpanion with other plants such as Stachys byzantina (Woolly Hedgenettle), Saponaria ocymoides (Rock Soapwort) and Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’ (Russian sage)

• It can be planted to create a harmonious color combination with other roses, such as pink color and equally fragrant Rosa ‘Jacques Cartier’ and the purple color Rosa ‘Robert le Diable’

• It can be planted as a hedge plant

• Can be pruned appropriately to climbing

• Finally, it is possible to plant it in large-sized pots and full-sun exposures

‘Reine des Violettes’ Rose (Old Garden Roses)

With Pomp and Circumstance

Angelo Debarre from Paris, together with Marius Apostol, Antonio Licusati, Constantin Lacatus and George Hassan, musically explain the inexplicably Rosa ‘Reine des Violettes’.