Rosa Baronne Prévost - Hybrid Perpetual rose

Hybrid perpetual rose 'Baronne Prévost' is one of the first and best perpetual hybrids! Its refined flowers are classically shaped and nostalgically reminiscent of old roses. From June to November, this upright and thorny bush has large, upright flowers that are so double that the petals fold into quarters, in a rich pink tinged with lilac. They exude a powerful, wild fragrance. This vigorous and hardy shrub rose requires rich soil and a sunny exposure to flower again after its first abundant flowering in June. It is medium-sized and suitable for hedges and shrub borders.

The flowers of 'Baronne Prévost' Hybrid Perpetual Rose are exceptional with their numerous petals and quartered shape reminiscent of the double old roses. This pretty variety has a bushy, upright habit, whose stems have short, red thorns. It will reach about 150 cm (59in) high and 120 cm (47in) wide in a few years. The 11 cm (4in) very double, fragrant flowers, with flattened cup shapes divided into quarters, are generous, with 25 to 40 petals. They evolve from a rich pink tinged with lilac to mauve grey. They bloom in very large numbers, especially during their first flowering in June. This vigorous variety has beautiful, slightly satin-like, bright green foliage.

Bred by Desprez, France, 1841.

The 'Baronne Prévost' rose adapts to all soils that are not too dry, and all climates. However, it needs good exposure to the sun and rich soil to rebloom. It can be planted in groups of 3, arranged in a triangle, or as a solitary plant on a lawn. It will make a statement when planted en masse in the back of a flower bed or grouped between shrub borders, and it will fit perfectly with borders of light or opulent perennials with white, blue, pink, and violet flowers. For example, it can be planted with perennial geraniums (Geranium Blue Cloud, Anne Folkard, Nimbus, Orion), bellflowers (lactiflora, rapunculoides), catmints, perennial salvias, foxgloves, or other Stachys. When left to grow freely, it forms an upright shrub and can even be a small climber, trained against a support, creating a romantic backdrop behind a flower bed composed of abelias, Kolkwitzia, mock oranges, elderberries, Nandina, Choisya, shrubby artemisias, or many others.