Rosa Holiday Island Key Largo

The Holiday Island Key Largo® Bush Rose brings a touch of romance to the garden with its beautiful double flowers and perfect form. From creamy white with hints of pale pink towards the centre, while emitting a subtle scent of tea rose, its lovely flowers can also be enjoyed in bouquets. A recent variety, very floriferous and disease-resistant, flowering in successive waves from late spring to frost, its compact habit allows it to be grown in pots or in the garden. It will create stunning borders and can be integrated into various plantings.

While the Rosaceae family has more than a hundred genera, the rose (Rosa) is undoubtedly the most prolific in terms of species and cultivars. There are indeed more than 40,000 rose varieties, and the range expands each year with new introductions. Holiday Island Key Largo is a very recent variety, launched in 2021 by the Dutch breeder Interplant Roses.

This is a modern bush rose with medium-sized flowers, presenting a bushy and compact habit. It reaches about 50 to 60cm (20 to 24in) in height and 50cm (20in) in width at maturity, with relatively rapid growth. This rose produces thorny branches that bear abundant, glossy, dark green foliage, consisting of large, toothed leaflets, perfect for showcasing the light-coloured flowers. Throughout the summer, and until October if faded flowers are removed, the plant produces very double flowers of approximately 8cm (3in), globular and composed of numerous petals. The very pale pink center transitions to creamy white towards the periphery, giving a subtle romantic charm to this rose. The deciduous foliage is very healthy, as the plant is extremely resistant to powdery mildew, this fungus that forms an unsightly white film and can deform the floral stems, as well as resistant to black spot disease, which often attacks rose foliage.
Thriving in full sun and tolerating partial shade, especially in warm climates, this variety grows in soil close to neutral pH (pH 7), of a "loamy" type, meaning deep and relatively fertile, as roses are quite nutrient-demanding. Therefore, it is important to choose a location where there hasn't been a rose previously, as it may have depleted the soil. Soils that are too acidic are not favorable for cultivation (which is why pine bark mulch should not be used), as well as calcareous soils that cause chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage by blocking the assimilation of certain mineral elements. Regular watering during summer will support flowering, taking care to water at the base and not over the foliage (although its resistance to powdery mildew is very good). Annual fertilization with an organic fertilizer, with a higher concentration of potash (the K in the N.P.K. in the nutrient formula) than nitrogen (N), should also be provided.

This Key Largo rose allows for creating stunning borders, planted en masse along the edge of the terrace or in large beds. Its compactness also makes it a good choice for container planting, where it forms beautiful flowering pots. The abundance and duration of its flowering also allow for regularly cutting stems for bouquets. Plant it in the foreground of a bed, with low perennials at its feet and shrubs in the background to create layers of vegetation. Nepeta 'Kit Cat', a ground-cover perennial with abundant lavender-blue flowers throughout the summer, will provide a tasteful contrast to our little rose. And to continue in a truly romantic tone, Lagerstroemia indica 'Monbazillac', a Lilac of India with magnificent summer inflorescences in light pink, will make a perfect backdrop in your summer bed.