Red-leaved Rose



Rosa glauca (rubrifolia)

This rose was not widely grown in gardens until the end of the 19th century, when its refined wildness and beauty out of the flowering season first began to be appreciated.  It is a native to the mountains of central and southern Europe, from the Spanish Pyrenees east to Bulgaria, and north to Germany and Poland.

It is a deciduous arching shrub of sparsely bristled and thorny cinnamon-coloured arching canes up to 6ft tall.  Its leaves are glaucous blue-green and covered with a waxy bloom.  They have fragile, clear pink flowers that are produced in clusters.  The fruit is dark red hip.

The hips are early this year as they are not really meant to appear till autumn.  I transplanted it a couple of years ago as it outgrew its space, it is fairly vigorous.  My neighbour has one also which  has grown up the dividing fence and  continues on my side.  It is very striking in the border even though the flowers are short lived.