Rosa x persica Alissar Princess of Phoenicia - Hybrid Persian Rose

The Rosa 'Alissar Princess of Phoenicia' is a rare rose bush, a wonderful heir of a curious botanical species called Rosa persica, native to the steppe regions of Central Asia. This recent hybrid has, like its parent, delicate flowers resembling a butterfly's flight, with a heart of contrasting colour. Its bicolour roses, in semi-double blooms, first open in a cream tone with a ruby centre, then turn pink with a brownish-red centre. This flowering is perpetual and accompanied by a subtle fragrance. Particularly well-suited to the dry and hot regions of our country, this variety appreciates the sun and well-drained soils.

The Rosa x persica 'Alissar Princess of Phoenicia' descends from a wild rose discovered in 1784 by the botanist André Michaux in the Zagros Mountains, straddling Iran and Iraq. The unique feature of its bicolour flowers has since then prompted rose breeders to attempt hybridisation with other cosmopolitan species and varieties. After years of research and selection, very interesting new cultivars have emerged, particularly from English rose breeder Harkness. 'Alissar Princess of Phoenicia', born in 2010, is one of these varieties with exotic charm, still little known here. It is a bush or a shrub with an upright and bushy habit, reaching a height of 1.10m (4ft) and a spread of 90cm (35in), sometimes more. Its brown branches are moderately thorny and adorned with small, slightly shiny, very healthy dark green foliage. Flowering occurs quite early, in May-June, sometimes as early as April in warm climates, and regularly continues until September-October. The semi-double, flat cup-shaped flowers measure approximately 5 to 8cm (2 to 3in) in diameter. Their fragrance is light but pleasant. The changing colours of the flowers make this wonderful bush a multicoloured bouquet where pink, pale yellow, carmine red, magenta and cream white blend together.

Rare and precious, 'Alissar Princess of Phoenicia' is a special rose for a garden of curious gardeners that deserves a prime location. It will be adopted more than any other in a southern garden, or on a slope, in a large rockery, wherever many classic roses would turn up their noses. It is also hardy enough to withstand our normal winters, which allows it to be adopted almost everywhere. For example, it can be paired with pink or white foxgloves, purple toadflaxes, or pretty grasses like Muhlenbergia capillaris or Stipa capillata. It is also beautiful in front of the mass of tall asters (Aster laevis, Aster turbinellus, Kalimeris mongolica, Solidaster), free in a wild garden, or surrounded by warm hues like the autumn foliage of smoke bushes and deciduous euonymus.