Floribunda (Beetrose)Rosen-Tantau (Christian Evers), 2014Red

Country Girl

TAN09562; a ‘chameleon’ flower: from cherry-red buds through apricot and pink to cream-white; all the shades appear on one flower cluster.

Colourful 'watercolour' drift · very healthy foliage

Variety profile Gardeners' photos

Variety profile

Flowering

Repeat, in flushes

Repeat-flowering in flushes, from June to the first frosts. Months are approximate, for the climate of Ukraine.

Legacy

'Watercolour'

A colourful border floribunda by Tantau with very healthy foliage

Winter hardiness

−23 °C

South and centre of Ukraine; in the north – with winter protection. South and centre of Ukraine · in the north — with cover.

Compare reference temperatures

Plant size

50–60 × 40–45 cm

Habit: Compact, bushy, upright
Dimensions: 50–60 cm tall × 40–45 cm wide
Support: Not needed – a compact bedding plant
Shoots: Sturdy
Branching: Dense

Flower

4–6 cm

Bud shape: Small, pointed, cherry-red with an apricot-yellow centre
Open flower: Cupped, flat rosette; diameter 4–6 cm
Centre: Yellow-apricot in young flowers
Fullness: Double, densely filled (~26–40 petals)
Flower carriage: In profuse clusters (5–10 each, up to 20+ buds)

Fragrance

Faint; almost no scent

Disease resistance

4 out of 5

High – Tantau notes ‘enormous foliage health’.

Sun

Sun / partial shade

Grows in any soil.

Thorns

Moderate

thornlessfewmoderatemanyvery many

Moderate prickliness (no precise data for the variety).

Foliage

Dense, healthy, medium green, semi-glossy.

All characteristics in a table

Group: Floribunda (Beetrose)
Breeder: Rosen-Tantau (Christian Evers), Germany, 2014
Bud shape: Small, pointed, cherry-red with an apricot-yellow centre
Open flower: Cupped, flat rosette; diameter 4–6 cm
Centre: Yellow-apricot in young flowers
Colour: Strongly changeable (‘chameleon’): cherry-red – cream-apricot – pink – light pink/white; because buds of different stages sit in one cluster, a cluster shows several colours at once
Fullness: Double, densely filled (~26–40 petals)
Flower carriage: In profuse clusters (5–10 each, up to 20+ buds)
Flowering: Repeat-flowering in flushes, from June to the first frosts
Fragrance: Faint – almost no scent
Hips: Unknown
Habit: Compact, bushy, upright
Branching: Dense
Shoots: Sturdy
Thorns: Moderate prickliness (no precise data for the variety).
Dimensions: 50–60 cm tall × 40–45 cm wide
Support: Not needed – a compact bedding plant
Foliage: Dense, healthy, medium green, semi-glossy
Resistance: High – Tantau notes ‘enormous foliage health’
Variations of the variety: NOT to be confused with the old ‘Country Girl’ (Temmerman, 1958 – a simple red floribunda)

Colour scheme

Strongly changeable (‘chameleon’): cherry-red – cream-apricot – pink – light pink/white; because buds of different stages sit in one cluster, a single cluster shows several colours at once

Rose neighbours

Jubilee Celebrationsalmon pink

Augusta Luisepeach-cream

Boscobelsalmon pink

Munstead Wooddark raspberry · contrast

Perennials to plant nearby

Catmint (Nepeta)sky blue

Salvia 'Caradonna'purple

Perovskialavender haze

Gypsophilawhite mist

Neighbouring roses

Warm multicoloured apricot-pink varieties keep the same 'watercolour' palette around Country Girl.

Jubilee Celebration Augusta Luise Boscobel Munstead Wood

Companion perennials

Blue-purple flowers give a clean contrast to the warm, shifting palette:

catmint (Nepeta)salvia 'Caradonna'Perovskiagypsophila

Contrasting accents

Blue spires and a sheer 'haze' balance the multicoloured truss:

DelphiniumNepeta Six Hills GiantPerovskia

More about the variety

Hips: Unknown
Variations of the variety: NOT to be confused with the old ‘Country Girl’ (Temmerman, 1958 – a simple red floribunda)

How to grow

Where to plant. In a flower bed, the front of a mixed border, containers; thanks to its compactness and ‘watercolour’ effect, it is lovely in mass plantings and small gardens.

Climate. South and centre of Ukraine – no protection needed; in the north – winter protection (USDA zone ~6).

Care. Undemanding – very healthy foliage; full sun or light partial shade, fertile soil; removing spent blooms encourages new flushes.

About the name

Name. 'Country Girl' – ‘country girl’: it evokes natural, unpretentious beauty, which suits the softly changing, ‘watercolour’ flowers (no official explanation of the name has been published). Bred by Christian Evers for Rosen-Tantau (Germany): crossed in 2009, introduced in 2014. Patent code TAN09562. Parent forms are not disclosed.

Significance. A modern Tantau bedding floribunda with very healthy foliage; valued for the multi-tone ‘watercolour’ effect of a clump, where red, apricot, pink and white flowers appear on one bush at the same time.

Frequently asked questions about Country Girl

Does Country Girl need winter protection?

The cultivar’s reference temperature is −23 °C. Overwintering depends on the conditions. South and centre of Ukraine; in the north – with winter protection.

How many times a season does Country Girl flower?

Repeat-flowering in flushes, from June to the first frosts.

How big does Country Girl grow?

50–60 cm tall, 40–45 cm wide.

Which diseases affect Country Girl?

Overall resistance: 4 out of 5. High – ‘enormous foliage health’ (Tantau).

How much sun does Country Girl need?

Sun / partial shade; grows in any soil.

What does Country Girl smell like?

Faint – almost no scent.