Rosa x polyantha 'Honeymilk' - Standard Rose

The 'Honey Milk' Standard Rose forms a delightful small tree with a rounded crown bearing nostalgic flowers in successive waves, from spring to the first cold. This variety, originally miniature, is renowned for its floribundity and ease of maintenance. It offers bouquets of well-double roses of medium size, white on the periphery, tightly packed around a creamy yellow heart. Its impeccable habit and floribundity make it suitable for flower beds, patios, and balconies.  

Standard roses are created by grafting a particular variety, such as Honeymilk, onto a straight and single stem from a different type of rose, Rosa laxa or R. multiflora. The grafting process is performed at a specific height, typically around 50-60 cm (20-24 inches) from the ground. Protecting the rootstock during winter in extremely cold regions may be necessary.

The miniature rose 'Honeymilk' flowers, gathered in terminal clusters, come from the polyantha rose, an old hybrid from Rosa multiflora and Rosa chinensis. Grafted onto a stem, it shows a characteristic habit and will reach a size of 30-35 cm (12-14in) in a few years. The 5 cm (2in) flowers, double, unscented, in informal cups, bloom in large numbers in small clusters from May to June to October. This variety has delicate dark green, deciduous foliage in winter and is moderately resistant to diseases under good growing conditions. Its stems bear thorns.

Obtained by Tantau (Germany) in 2002.

The 'Honey Milk' stem rose is best planted in a prominent position, in the centre of a bed, among ground cover perennials or low bushes, in a row along a path, near a terrace or even in a large pot on the balcony. It can also be planted in groups of 3 plants, arranged in a triangle, or as a solitary specimen on a lawn. It pairs well with perennial geraniums (Geranium Blue Cloud, Anne Folkard, Nimbus, Orion), bellflowers (lactiflora, rapunculoides), catmints, snapdragons or foxgloves. Standard roses are perfect for adding volume to beds of bush roses or ground cover.