Rosa Felicité et Perpétue - Climbing Rose

The Rose 'Felicity and Perpetua' is a cultivar from 1827, derived from Rosa sempervirens. Rarely in horticultural history have we seen a climber so modest but robust and showing fierce resistance to diseases and drought. It is capable of growing and flowering almost anywhere, it blooms in late spring with large clusters of small, tightly packed roses, barely pinkish white-cream, and a scent of primrose mixed with delightful bright pink buds. Its vigorous growth bears small, shiny, almost evergreen foliage and forms a dense mass. While its hardiness is sometimes lacking, this variety will not disappoint, especially in hot and dry climates.

This large rose is an old cultivar, descended from the evergreen rose (Rosa sempervirens). The latter is native to Southern Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor. Sempervirens roses are generally evergreen, vigorous (and sometimes a bit susceptible to cold), and tolerate dry soils, hot climates, and the semi-shade of the undergrowth. 'Felicity and Perpetua', also known as Rosa x liane 'Climbing Little White Pet', was born from the hands of Jacques, the head gardener of the Duke of Orleans (who would be called Louis Philippe), in 1827, and its numerous qualities have allowed it to withstand the ages without ageing. It forms a vigorous liana that will easily reach 4 to 5m (16ft) in height  with a spread of 2 to 3m (7 to 10ft). Its long stems are flexible, adorned with small curved thorns and covered with dense, healthy, dark green foliage. The  flowers of this variety are born from very pretty pink buds. They form abundantly from mid-June to mid-July. The buds open into double rosettes, 3cm (1in) in diameter, well-ordered, and barely tinged with pink and cream in the centre. They are gathered in long bouquets on flexible stems. Delicious and charming, they exude a sweet floral and fresh scent. The small orange-red fruits that delight birds in the winter are fleshy false fruits called hips. They contain a large quantity of single-seeded achene.

'Felicity and Perpetua' is a charming rose endowed with robust health, ideal for southern gardens that usually make roses suffer. It is so undemanding that it accepts stony and dry soils in summer and performs very well in semi-shade, or even shade, in the south of our country. If allowed to grow freely, it will become as wide as it is tall, displaying the exuberance of its beautiful foliage adorned with white pompons and pink buds. Like other lianas, it is incomparable for filling large spaces and giving a touch of abandonment, planted above slightly too strict flowerbeds. It is an ideal companion for dead or living trees, uncertain fences, and ugly buildings or sheds, adding tremendous charm. As it only flowers once, it can be paired with viticella Purpurea Plena or texensis princess kate clematis, which will take over and both tolerate relatively dry soils.