Souvenir De La Malmaison Rose

Souvenir de la Malmaison - The petals of this rose are perfect for a hot bath after a long day of  gardening. Pick a few of the the large, double and spicy fragrant blossoms and let them float in the bath. Their fragrance, a glass of good wine will have your spirit restored in short order. 

	Once called the "Queen of Beauty and Fragrance," this bourbon variety from Empress Josephine's garden produces lovely, enormous quartered blossoms with fragrant, paper-thin petals of the softest pink. The plant is compact, with large leathery leaves.
	Color: Creamy rose Height: 2'-3' Bud Form: Rounded Bloom Size: 3"-4" Petal Count: 65-75 Stem Length: 10"-15" Foliage: Large, leathery, medium green Fragrance: Strong spicy-sweet

The Name of the Rose - Named after Empress Josephine's country estate outside Paris.

This is a worthy rose to be named for Empress Josephine's famed rose garden and it is one that has stood the test of time. The large, double and spicy fragrant flowers are hard to resist and a strong reblooming factor is an added bonus. That said, it is a rose that does have a few problems. It is a slow starter and may take years to get going (but of course it is worth the wait). A second discouraging factor is a tendency to ball during rainy weather. The rose performs best is hot dry climates.

According to legend, the Souvenir de la Malmaison rose was given to Napoleon by the Empress Josephine to bring him back safely from war. It was claimed to resemble Napoleon's hat and was also carried by French soldiers in the Battle of Waterloo to protect them. Napoleon survived his battles and died in bed, although he was not with Josephine.

Souvenir de la Malmaison rose is named after Josephine's gardens in Malmaison, near Paris. However as it was developed in 1843, well after the reign of Napoleon, the identity of the true Napoleon's rose is unknown. It may not protect a warrior in battle, but it is a lovely rose.

This is a good rose for a small garden or a container. Needs protection during cold winters.

There are four sports of this rose available. All are identical except for color. A climbing version, Climbing Souvenir De La Malmaison, grows to 14 ft. but flowers are less abundant. Souvenir De St. Anne's is a light pink semisingle. Leweson Gower is mid-pink and Kronprinzessin Viktoria is white

Origin - Beluze, 1843
Parentage - 'Mme. Desprez/ x 'Devoniensis'
Color - Soft pink/cream
Foliage - Medium green
Thorns - Moderate
Size - 3' high x 3' wide
Fragrance - Strong, fruity
Repeat bloom - Yes
Disease resistance - Fair
Hardiness - Zone 6

From Brent Dickerson's Old Rose Advisor* discussing the introduction of Souvenir de la Malmaison:

"The blossoms ... were taken to the markets of Lyon, whence they were quickly borne off, and Beluze was not of a mind to release this wonderful variety [wanting to maintain his 'monopoly' on its appearance in the florist trade] ... Beluze was so happy in the possession of this jewel that, whenever someone would enter his yard, he would place that person under the strictest surveillance, believing that otherwise the person would take many cuttings. The story also goes on to say that Mme Beluze would stand, watching, in one of the windows of the house. As for Beluze himself, he would be lost in watching the visitor from head to toe."

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