Alfred Colomb

Where to plant. A classic old garden rose for a romantic cottage garden. The compact, upright, tidy bush (120–150 cm) with almost no thorns looks good in a border, in a group of old roses, or as a specimen. Cool lilac-blue companions — lavender, catmint, geranium — make a good contrast to the carmine-red globular flowers. Sunny spot, fertile soil.

Climate. USDA 6b–9b (RHS H6, to ~−20.6 °C). Hardy — in Ukrainian conditions it overwinters throughout the country with light protection or earthing up the base of the bush.

Care. A repeat-bloomer — flowers in flushes from June to October with a repeat in autumn. The colour hardly fades in the sun and holds up in rain, so the bush keeps its ornamental value for a long time. Needs no support (a separate climbing sport exists for vertical planting).

Name. The variety is named after the Lyon rose enthusiast Alfred Colomb. In catalogues it also appears under the synonyms Marshall P. Wilder and Madame Brosse.

Breeding. Bred by François Lacharme (spelled Lacharme, not Guillot) in Lyon and introduced in 1865. Parentage: Général Jacqueminot × a seedling — the variety descends from the famous dark red Hybrid Perpetual Général Jacqueminot, one of the best-known ancestors of garden red roses.

Significance. One of the finest representatives of the Hybrid Perpetual class — old garden roses of the second half of the XIX century. In 2000 it was honoured with the Dowager Queen award of the American Rose Society (ARS) — an award for old roses. It has no official RHS AGM award. The globular quartered cup, strong old-fashioned scent and colour stability in sun and rain, rare for the class, make it a valued choice for old-rose collections.