Rosa Vittel - Standard Rose

The Vittel Standard Rose is vigorous, incredibly floriferous, and extremely disease-resistant. It produces generous clusters of double flowers, in a truly bright cherry red, from late spring until the first frost, revealing a late small golden stamen heart. They are perfectly complemented by its glossy dark green foliage, free from diseases. Particularly robust and resistant, this variety has obtained the German ADR label. A luminous plant, of great decorative value, to be placed prominently in the garden or even in a large pot on the patio.

Standard roses are obtained by grafting a variety (here the Vittel bush rose) onto a single and upright stem belonging to a different rose (Rosa canina, R. laxa or R. multiflora), with the graft being made here at 50 - 60 cm (20 - 24in) from the ground. In very cold regions, it may be useful to protect the rootstock in winter.

The Vittel Rose is an excellent German creation from Kordes, dating back to 1998. This variety belongs to the floribunda rose family, which produces flowers gathered in clusters. Grafted on a stem, it shows a characteristic habit, with a slender and vertical 'trunk' carrying a large round crown. Its thorny stems bear abundant, shiny, well-furnished foliage, divided into small, tough, and toothed leaflets. Its flowering is abundant and regular from June to October-November if it is regularly pruned and not lacking in water. The flowers are gathered in large clusters, they are double, 9 cm (4in) wide, composed of 9 to 16 velvety petals of a bright red. The tightly closed buds open into open cups, revealing a small yellow stamen heart. The fragrance in this rose is absent. The plant is deciduous in winter.

This Vittel Standard Rose is a magnificent specimen to be placed in the centre of a bed of light perennials, along a pathway, near the patio, as a specimen feature in a small well-kept garden, or in a large pot on the balcony. Its red colour is visible from afar in the garden and pairs well with white, orange, blue, or yellow flowers. For example, you can plant nepetas, chamomiles, perennial salvias, foxgloves, cornflowers, or large baby's breath alongside it. A groundcover of silver baskets or lady's mantle will showcase it perfectly.