Rosa La France

In 1867, with the Rose 'La France', Jean-Baptiste Guillot gave birth to the new category of Hybrid Teas, thus closing the era of old roses invented by the pioneers of cross-breeding. This variety, which once represented the ideal of beauty and fragrance, still graces our gardens, and far beyond our borders, on hectares, for its powerful fragrance. Its long pointed buds open into large globular and very double roses, rich in 60 slightly curved petals, of a light silver pink, doubled with lilac pink. This rather low bush is capable of flowering from June to November.  It is a reliable, very hardy variety, accessible to all, and endowed with timeless charm.

Rosa 'La France', of uncertain parentage, but often related to the variety 'Madame Falcot', is considered the flagship of our modern roses commonly called Hybrid Tea or Large-flowered Roses. These roses are the result of multiple crosses between tea-scented roses and remontant hybrids. They share a bushy and erect habit, formed by long straight and upright stems, and produce on long peduncles (sometimes considered a bit stiff), very beautiful elongated buds opening into large solitary flowers, counting at least 60 petals, highly prized in floristry. Most of them have a recurrent flowering, even continuous for some of them, but often devoid of fragrance.

'La France' forms a small vigorous bush, 90cm (35.4in) tall and 70-80cm (27.6 - 31.5in) wide. Its thorny stems, a bit weak but without stiffness, bear a sparsely leafy foliage, dark green, quite sensitive to humidity. The silhouette often bends under the abundance and weight of the large silky pink flowers. Very full and wide, 10 to 11cm (4.3in) in diameter, they exhale a magnificent fragrance, reminiscent of Damask Rose; this rose is actually extensively cultivated in India for the fragrance and perfume industry. It is susceptible to fungal diseases, but thrives better (without treatment) in our dry climates, especially since it lives for very long years on its own roots and is not demanding in terms of soil type and tolerates limestone very well. 

Rosa 'La France' is an historic rose, of modern conception, but with an ancient appearance. If it has survived many more recent cultivars, produced abundantly for decades, it is undoubtedly due to its fragrance, its ability to rebloom for 5 to 6 months, and probably to the timeless charm of its large pastel roses, so endearing in bouquets and flower beds. It deserves a place in romantic gardens, scented gardens, alongside Rosa 'Old Blush', with its inexhaustible flowering, or Rosa 'Complicata'. It is beautiful in the company of tall asters (A. laevis, A. turbinellus, Kalimeris mongolica, Solidaster), among shrub peonies, foxgloves, and Penstemons. In spring, the fragrance and roundness of lilacs, the purity of mock oranges will accompany its brand new youth, while in summer, ceanothuses and repeat-flowering roses will take over. Finally, it is a perfectly hardy bush, but it dreads humid and cool summers.