Gallica Roses

As an ancestor of many European roses the Gallica Roses are very well known for their extraordinarily cold hardiness  

The roses mentioned by many Greek historians were almost certainly Rosa Gallica's.

Known as the ‘Apothecary’s Roses’ or ‘Red Damasks’ they were the main source of rose oil and medicinal remedies until the introduction of rose species from the Far East.

Facts About Gallica Roses

Gallica’s are very winter hardy shrubs and do very well in zone 4-9, but might not flower well in milder climates.

There are many reasons why Rosa Gallica hybrids are still very popular garden plants today. One of the reasons is that most varieties are very healthy – black spot cannot be seen at all and powdery mildew is rarely at the shrubs.

Thornes are virtually non-existent on most varieties, but primarily the typical light hairs of the Gallica, where you can barely hurt yourself. That makes her extremely sympathetic!

They only bloom once a year in early summer and come in many shades. They range in color from pink, purple to red and white, often marked with stripes, and are an extraordinary choice for your garden.

Many varieties show lovely, usually spherical rose hips, which makes every shrub combined with the phenomenal colored foliage an eye-catcher in fall.

A word to pruning

Gallica’s require little pruning apart from removing dead or diseased wood. Once established they only need pruning to keep them in shape.

Make Your Gallica Rose Choice

Thanks to their longevity, Rosa Gallica varieties can accompany us throughout our lives, remind us of our childhood, or our parents who planted them in the garden.

Most modern roses can only dream about it.

Complicata

A Gallica of uncertain origin, and untypical of most Gallicas. The single flowers are sweetly scented and produced in abundance in summer.

The shrub shows matt grayish-green leaves and can be used as a rambler among other shrubs in a wild garden or trained on a pillar.

A ‘Complicata’ can grow up to a height of 8 feet and spread to a width of 8 feet.

Belle De Crecy

A much recommended pink rose with miraculous color is 'Belle de Crésy'. Their flowers range in different shades of Cherry red to purple and discolor with increasing age from purple to mauve-violet gray. Fantastic unusual!

Its violet color becomes particularly intense at half-shaded locations. The strongly filled flowers are large, quartered and plate-shaped.

They appear in picturesque tufts with a sweet scent. As typical for a Gallica Rose, their leaves are blunt green, and the shoots are almost thornless. The shrub grows to a height of 4 feet and hangs pleasingly forward.

Charles De Mills

A Rosa Gallica of uncertain parentage and date of introduction.

It makes a compact shrub with moderately scented crimson flowers, which fade into purple and gray tones as they mature.

The slender stems may require staking.

The shrub will grow up to a height of 4feet and spread to a width of 3 feet.

Tuscany

The 'Tuscany', also known as 'Velvet Rose', is one of the oldest still existing Gallica's. She is a survival artist and can survive with less care in the garden and grow very old.

Their dark-purple flowers are fascinating. The flowers open from spherical buds, on long flower stalks over the dark green foliage.

Fully developed, the medium-sized, velvety dark red flowers form a wreath around deep yellow stamens of the flower center.

The shrub grows bushy overhanging and about 3 feet high, and forms round red rose hips.