Reine des Violettes

Bred by Millet-Malet (France) in 1860, 'Reine des Violettes' — 'Queen of Violets' — is a Hybrid Perpetual old rose distinguished by its extraordinary coloring: flat rosette blooms of a blue-tinged violet to mauve, a hue unique in the rose world for its era and still among the truest approaches to blue in the rose palette. The fragrance is powerful, deeply Damask in character. For a Hybrid Perpetual, it repeats its bloom well. Few thorns make handling easy. The plant reaches 1.5–2m with a somewhat spreading habit; light staking helps maintain a tidy form. For the truest expression of its violet coloring, bright dappled shade is preferable to harsh direct sun. It is one of the oldest surviving violet-toned roses still in wide cultivation.

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