Rosa Old Blush

This is one of the most important ancient Chinese garden roses.

It has silvery pink flowers with a deeper red flush and a pronounced fragrance. The plant has no thorns and an upright growth, and can be cultivated as a small rambler, reaching a height of 1.8-2.5 metres.

It can be used to cover north-facing walls and is tolerant of poor soil and partial shade and flowers more or less continuously throughout the summer. Given its predisposition to powdery mildew, it is used as a “test sample” in vines and collections.

It has probably been grown in China for many centuries.

Origin: discovered in China by John Parsons and introduced in Europe in 1789.

Other names: Parson’s Pink, Monthly Rose, Pallida.