Rosa rugosa F.J. Grootendorst

The 'F. J. Grootendorst' Rose is a robust horticultural hybrid. It is a very floriferous, slightly perpetual, and disease-free plant. It grows into a vigorous and bushy shrub, which bears small double roses ranging from bright red to carmine pink, with fringed petals that make them resemble carnations. They are gathered in clusters and adorn a beautiful light to medium green, glossy, foliage, throughout the entire growing season. This hardy plant is very easy to grow and tolerates both sea spray and poor soil.

A magnificent horticultural success, the 'F.J Grootendorst' Rose was born in 1918, thanks to De Goey. It resulted from the crossbreeding between the remarkably hardy Rosa rugosa 'Rubra', a Japanese rose native to the Far East, inhabiting coasts and sandy dunes, and Rosa x Polyantha 'Mme Norbert Levavasseur', with perpetual small bunches of bright red roses.

'F. J. Grootendorst' quickly develops into a dense bush, reaching 1.20m (3ft) to 1.50m (5ft) in height, sometimes more, with a spread of 1m (3ft). Its straight and highly branched stems are brown and covered in prickles. In June-July and late summer, they bear clusters of roses 3 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter which are double and curiously fringed. The pointed buds gradually open into flowers displaying various shades of magenta red, dark pink, carmine and crimson. They are barely scented and do not produce any fruit. The deciduous foliage, abundant down to the base of the plant, is composed of leaves with an embossed appearance, divided into fairly light green, glossy leaflets. And in October, as the flowering season comes to an end, the branches turn beige and the leaves a beautiful golden yellow. All rugosa roses tend to sucker.

The passion for old roses is widespread and well-justified: these roses are not only the ancestors of our modern roses, but also the glory of our gardens. Rosa rugosa 'F. J. Grootendorst' is a powerful rose, ideal for a hedge or defensive hedgerow, as the balance between foliage and flowers is perfect and it forms a thorny mass that is difficult to cross. It can be associated with its white and pink siblings, 'Pink Grootendorst' and 'White Grootendorst', but also with cotinus, lilacs, mock oranges, or even viburnums, shrubs with a rustic character and just as easy to grow. Lastly, it is an excellent coastal shrub, to be planted in the front line, in soil that remains moist.