Hybrid TeaGeorges DelbardLilac and purple

Mamy Blue

5/5 FRAGRANCE — one of the most fragrant Delbards; mauve-violet with a blue sheen; Critérium Orléans 1993 + Fragrance Award NZ 1997; the 'blue wave' HT alongside Charles de Gaulle and Blue Moon.

Les Grands Parfums de Delbard series · the 5th Delbard in the catalogue

Variety profile Gardeners' photos

Variety profile

Flowering

Repeat-flowering

Awards

2 awards

Critérium Orléans 1993 · Fragrance Award NZ 1997

Winter hardiness

−20 °C

USDA zone 6b. Needs moderate winter cover.

Compare reference temperatures

Plant size

80–100 × 50–60 cm

Habit: Upright, compact — a typical Delbard HT
Dimensions: 80–100 × 50–60 cm
Support: Does not need support
Shoots: Medium, straight
Branching: Good

Flower

≈ 10 cm

35-40 petals.

Bud shape: Elongated, high-centred, mauve-violet
Open flower: Full double classic HT with a characteristic violet sheen — the reference form of the 'blue' HTs of the 1990s
Centre: Tightly packed, in the same mauve tone
Fullness: 35–40 petals
Flower carriage: Singly on the cane — classic HT

Fragrance

Very strong; ylang-ylang + geranium + violet + honey

5/5 — one of the most fragrant Delbards, from the 'Les Grands Parfums' series. Notes: ylang-ylang at the top, geranium + violet in the heart, hay + honey at the base. A complex perfume bouquet.

Disease resistance

4 out of 5

4/5 — 'very disease resistant' (HMF); in humid climates may need disease prevention.

Sun

Sun+

Full sun; scent and colour are better in the sun.

Thorns

Moderate

thornlessfewmoderatemanyvery many

Average number, typical of classic Delbard HTs.

Foliage

Dark green, leathery.

All characteristics in a table

Group: Hybrid Tea
Breeder: Georges Delbard, France
Bud shape: Elongated, high-centred, mauve-violet
Open flower: Full double classic HT with a characteristic violet sheen — the reference form of the 'blue' HTs of the 1990s
Centre: Tightly packed, in the same mauve tone
Colour: Mauve-violet ('mauve') with a blue-silver sheen; it belongs to the rare 'blue' group of HTs. Truly blue roses do not exist — this is the closest that can be achieved through mauve tones.
Fullness: 35–40 petals
Flower carriage: Singly on the cane — classic HT
Flowering: Repeat-flowering
Fragrance: 5/5 — one of the most fragrant Delbards, from the 'Les Grands Parfums' series. Notes: ylang-ylang at the top, geranium + violet in the heart, hay + honey at the base. A complex perfume bouquet
Hips: Not documented
Habit: Upright, compact — a typical Delbard HT
Branching: Good
Shoots: Medium, straight
Thorns: Average number, typical of classic Delbard HTs.
Dimensions: 80–100 × 50–60 cm
Support: Does not need support
Foliage: Dark green, leathery
Resistance: 4/5 — 'very disease resistant' (HMF); in humid climates may need disease prevention
Variations of the variety: Code DELblue; parentage: complex cross — seed parent a hybrid of Holstein + Bayadère + Prélude + Saint-Exupéry; pollen parent an unnamed seedling; sometimes given as 'DELmamy' or 'DELma' — wrong, only DELblue; sometimes listed in catalogues in error as 'Mamie Blue'

Colour scheme

Mauve-violet ('mauve') with a blue-silver sheen; it belongs to the rare 'blue' group of HTs. Truly blue roses do not exist — this is the closest that can be achieved through mauve tones.

Rose neighbours

Blue Nilelavender-lilac

Blue Moonsilvery lilac

Ebb Tidesmoky violet

Keriobright yellow · contrast

Perennials to plant nearby

Lavenderlavender

Delphiniumblue

Byzantine betony (Stachys byzantina)silvery

Coreopsisyellow

Neighbouring roses

'Blue Wave' HT — a rare category:

Blue Nile Blue Moon Ebb Tide Kerio

Companion perennials

⭐ Lavender-blue resonance strengthens the scent of violet and geranium:

lavenderdelphiniumByzantine betony (Stachys byzantina)coreopsis

Availability worldwide

A French flagship of the 'blue' HT group:

🇫🇷 France: high · official Delbard🇪🇺 Europe: moderate · via French nurseries🇳🇿 New Zealand: high · Fragrance Award 1997🇺🇦 Ukraine: low · collector's rose

More about the variety

Hips: Not documented
Variations of the variety: Code DELblue; parentage: complex cross — seed parent a hybrid of Holstein + Bayadère + Prélude + Saint-Exupéry; pollen parent an unnamed seedling; sometimes given as 'DELmamy' or 'DELma' — wrong, only DELblue; sometimes listed in catalogues in error as 'Mamie Blue'

How to grow

Where to plant. Near places to sit (terraces, patios) — the complex fragrance is best experienced in the sun; formal borders, mono-violet groups with lavender; ideal in a group with Blue Nile (also Delbard) as 'two Delbard-violets'.

Climate. To −20 °C — needs moderate winter cover; the south without cover.

Care. Classic HT — spring pruning to 3–5 buds; protection from late spring frosts; seasonal disease prevention in humid regions.

About the name

Name. 'Mamy Blue' — dedicated to the iconic French song 'Mamy Blue' by composer Hubert Giraud (1970), sung by Nicoletta — a symbol of the melody's nostalgic, bluesy mood, which rhymes with the rose's violet-blue colour.

Breeding. Bred by Georges Delbard in France in 1984; commercial release in autumn 1991. Code DELblue. Parentage: a complex cross — the seed parent is a hybrid of Holstein + Bayadère + Prélude + Saint-Exupéry; the pollen parent is an unnamed seedling. Often wrongly attributed to Henri Delbard — the breeder was indeed Georges Delbard.

Significance. 2nd prize at the Critérium International de la Rose, Orléans 1993 (France) + Fragrance Award, New Zealand 1997. One of the strongest scents from the Delbard house — part of the 'Les Grands Parfums de Delbard' series, alongside Centenaire de Lourdes and Guy de Maupassant. Part of the 'blue wave' of HTs of the 1980s–1990s — alongside Charles de Gaulle (Meilland) and Blue Moon (Tantau). The 5th Delbard work in our catalogue — alongside Blue Nile (1981), Dames de Chenonceau (2002), La Rose de Molinard (1998/2008), Impératrice Farah (1986/1992).

Frequently asked questions about Mamy Blue

Does Mamy Blue need winter protection?

The cultivar’s reference temperature is −20 °C (USDA zone 6b). Overwintering depends on the conditions. Needs moderate winter cover.

How many times a season does Mamy Blue flower?

Repeat-flowering.

How big does Mamy Blue grow?

80–100 cm tall, 50–60 cm wide.

Which diseases affect Mamy Blue?

Overall resistance: 4 out of 5. Good; in humid climates needs disease prevention.

How much sun does Mamy Blue need?

Sun+; full sun; scent and colour are better in the sun.

What does Mamy Blue smell like?