A bright two-tone ‘harlequin’ flower: cherry-pink with golden yellow.
“Harlequin”-style two-tone
1975
USDA zone 6b. To ≈ −20 °C; in colder zones, winter cover.
Compare reference temperatures
. Moderate number (precise data are scarce).
Dark green, glossy.
Breeder's code MEIzourayor.
Bicolour: cherry-pink-red petal edges, plus a golden-yellow reverse and centre — the ‘harlequin’ outfit
Warm, bright climbers pick up the festive, “carnival” mood of Décor Arlequin.
Blue clematis and perennials calm the busy two-tone colouring:
For balance beside the busy Arlequin, calm blue or silver accents:
Where to plant. Against supports, fences, pergolas, or as a single bright accent bush in a mixed border.
Climate. Moderately hardy (USDA 6b, to ≈ −20 °C); winter cover is needed in most of Ukraine.
Care. Undemanding, with good disease resistance; removing spent flowers encourages new flushes. The brightest colour contrast comes in full sun.
Name. ‘Arlequin’ — the Harlequin, a character of the commedia dell'arte in a multicoloured costume; a metaphor for the flower's bright two-tone ‘jester's’ outfit.
Breeding. Décor Arlequin (= Meilland Décor Arlequin), from the Meilland house (France), code MEIzourayor, mid-1970s (around 1975). Gold medal at the Rome Rose Trials 1975. Not to be confused with the German 'Harlekin' (Kordes, 1986), which is cream-white with a red edge: a different variety.
The cultivar’s reference temperature is −20 °C (USDA zone 6b). Overwintering depends on the conditions. To ≈ −20 °C; in colder zones, winter cover.
Repeat-flowering in flushes throughout the season.
About 200 cm tall.
Sun; full sun for a bright colour contrast.
Weak.
