Shrub / Landscape; Meidiland series, the Bonica familyMarie-Louise (Louisette) Meilland-Paolino; Meilland International, 1985Red

Scarlet Meidiland

Q: Does Scarlet Meidiland need winter protection?

The cultivar’s reference temperature is −34 °C (USDA zone 4-9). Overwintering depends on the conditions. All of Ukraine, without winter protection.

Bright red / dark crimson ground cover that does not fade; the Bonica family (the same Marie-Louise Meilland who created the Meidiland series); Longwood Gardens Ten-Year Rose Trials: 'passed the test'; the benchmark for landscape roses: ground cover / low layer, needs no care; USDA 4-9, no winter protection.

Passed the Longwood Ten-Year Trials · the European municipal planting standard

Variety profile Gardeners' photos

Variety profile

Flowering

Repeat, in flushes

Very generous repeat flowering in waves from June to October; hundreds of flowers on one bush at the same time. Months are approximate, for the climate of Ukraine.

Legacy

Longwood 10-Year

Bonica family · the Meidiland standard

Winter hardiness

−34 °C

USDA zone 4-9. All of Ukraine, without winter protection.

Compare reference temperatures

Plant size

90–140 × 150–185 cm

Habit: Ground cover / spreading: wider than tall, typical of the Meidiland Landscape type
Dimensions: 90-140 cm tall × 150-185 cm wide: it spreads wider than it grows upward. One bush covers up to 2 m² of soil
Support: Not needed; self-supporting, with flexible stems
Shoots: Flexible; they spread along the ground and cover the soil well
Branching: Densely branched, with horizontal shoots

Flower

3.5-4 cm

Bud shape: Small, round, dark red
Open flower: Semi-double and open: 3.5-4 cm, around 25 petals
Centre: Visible yellow stamens in the open cup: a characteristic contrast for Meidiland
Fullness: Around 25 petals (semi-double)
Flower carriage: In large clusters of 10-15 flowers, creating a solid red carpet

Fragrance

None; typical for Meidiland

None: a deliberate choice by Meilland for the Meidiland series (the priority was the number of flowers and resilience, not scent).

Disease resistance

5 out of 5

Outstanding, 5/5, against black spot, powdery mildew and rust. USDA 4-9: one of the most frost-hardy landscape shrub roses. Longwood Gardens Ten-Year Rose Trials: passed the test (one of the toughest trials in the world: 10 years with no treatments, no watering and no care).

Sun

Sun and shade

Tolerates partial shade.

Thorns

Few

thornlessfewmoderatemanyvery many

Few thorns: Meilland deliberately bred the Meidiland-range to be 'safe' for public spaces.

Foliage

Small, dark green, glossy.

All characteristics in a table

Group: Shrub / Landscape; Meidiland series, the Bonica family
Breeder: Marie-Louise (Louisette) Meilland-Paolino; Meilland International, France, 1985
Bud shape: Small, round, dark red
Open flower: Semi-double and open: 3.5-4 cm, around 25 petals
Centre: Visible yellow stamens in the open cup: a characteristic contrast for Meidiland
Colour: Bright red to dark crimson (scarlet) with a cherry-red tint. Does not fade in the sun all season, a rare quality for red shrub roses
Fullness: Around 25 petals (semi-double)
Flower carriage: In large clusters of 10-15 flowers, creating a solid red carpet
Flowering: Very generous repeat flowering in waves from June to October; hundreds of flowers on one bush at the same time
Fragrance: None: a deliberate choice by Meilland for the Meidiland series (the priority was the number of flowers and resilience, not scent)
Hips: They do not form in an obvious way; the energy goes into repeat flowering
Habit: Ground cover / spreading: wider than tall, typical of the Meidiland Landscape type
Branching: Densely branched, with horizontal shoots
Shoots: Flexible; they spread along the ground and cover the soil well
Thorns: Few thorns: Meilland deliberately bred the Meidiland-range to be 'safe' for public spaces.
Dimensions: 90-140 cm tall × 150-185 cm wide: it spreads wider than it grows upward. One bush covers up to 2 m² of soil
Support: Not needed; self-supporting, with flexible stems
Foliage: Small, dark green, glossy
Resistance: Outstanding, 5/5, against black spot, powdery mildew and rust. USDA 4-9: one of the most frost-hardy landscape shrub roses. Longwood Gardens Ten-Year Rose Trials: passed the test (one of the toughest trials in the world: 10 years with no treatments, no watering and no care)
Variations of the variety: Code MEIkrotal. Bred 1985, registered 1987, introduced 1988 through Meilland International. Breeder: Marie-Louise (Louisette) Meilland-Paolino, the same breeder who created Bonica. Parentage: 'Bordurella' × 'Clair Matin'. Part of the Meidiland series alongside Bonica, Magic Meidiland, White Meidiland and Pink Meidiland

Colour scheme

Bright red to dark crimson (scarlet) with a cherry-red tint. Does not fade in the sun all season, a rare quality for red shrub roses

Rose neighbours

Bonicasoft pink

White Meidilandwhite

Magic Meidilandfuchsia

Icebergpure white · contrast

Perennials to plant nearby

Lavenderlavender

Ornamental grassesgolden ochre

Sedumpink

Catmint (Nepeta)blue

Neighbouring roses

The Meidiland family creates continuous, multicoloured “carpets”:

Bonica White Meidiland Magic Meidiland Iceberg

Perennial companions

Structural plants for landscape masses — drought-tolerant, for public spaces:

lavenderornamental grassessedumcatmint (Nepeta)

Availability worldwide

⭐⭐ The standard for municipal planting in Europe:

🇫🇷 France: very high · country of origin🇪🇺 Europe: very high · parks and avenues🇺🇸 USA: high · Longwood certificate🇺🇦 Ukraine: high · landscape design firms

More about the variety

Hips: They do not form in an obvious way; the energy goes into repeat flowering
Variations of the variety: Code MEIkrotal. Bred 1985, registered 1987, introduced 1988 through Meilland International. Breeder: Marie-Louise (Louisette) Meilland-Paolino, the same breeder who created Bonica. Parentage: 'Bordurella' × 'Clair Matin'. Part of the Meidiland series alongside Bonica, Magic Meidiland, White Meidiland and Pink Meidiland

How to grow

Where to plant. In drifts on slopes to hold the soil; along paths as a low edging; in municipal parks (the standard use); as the front of a mixed border; between large shrubs. One bush covers up to 2 m².

Climate. All of Ukraine without winter protection (USDA 4-9); copes well with summer heat without fading; drought-tolerant, it survives without watering (Longwood-standard).

Care. Minimal: full sun or light shade; prune every 2-3 years 'to the ground' with secateurs; 1-2 feeds per season is enough; needs no disease treatments.

About the name

Name. 'Scarlet Meidiland'. 'Scarlet' means bright red, for the rich cherry-red colour of the flowers. 'Meidiland' is the brand name of Meilland's series of landscape roses (from 'Mei', Meilland, plus '-land', denoting a park or landscape use). The series was developed as a replacement for traditional shrub roses in public spaces.

Breeding. Bred by Marie-Louise (Louisette) Meilland-Paolino at Meilland International (Antibes, France). Code MEIkrotal. Bred 1985, registered 1987, introduced 1988. Parentage: 'Bordurella' × 'Clair Matin', both parents with strong canes and abundant flowering. The same Marie-Louise Meilland created Bonica (WFRS Hall of Fame 2003), so Scarlet Meidiland is a full sister of Bonica in the red range.

Significance. Longwood Gardens Ten-Year Rose Trials, passed the test: one of the toughest trials in the world (10 years with no treatments, no watering and no care, so only the strongest survive). The benchmark for red landscape roses, a standard for French, German and Italian municipalities, and the most widely planted red shrub rose in European parks. Outstanding disease resistance, 5/5, plus USDA 4-9, drought tolerance and colour that does not fade: a rare combination of qualities in one variety. The Meidiland family, together with Bonica (WFRS HoF), White Meidiland, Magic Meidiland and Pink Meidiland, offers a 'toolkit' for any landscape project. It is not for cutting and not for fragrance gardens; this was the breeder's deliberate choice in favour of resilience and the number of flowers.

Frequently asked questions about Scarlet Meidiland

Does Scarlet Meidiland need winter protection?

The cultivar’s reference temperature is −34 °C (USDA zone 4−9). Overwintering depends on the conditions. All of Ukraine, without winter protection.

How many times a season does Scarlet Meidiland flower?

Very generous repeat flowering in waves from June to October; hundreds of flowers on one bush at the same time.

How big does Scarlet Meidiland grow?

90–140 cm tall, 150–185 cm wide.

Which diseases affect Scarlet Meidiland?

Overall resistance: 5 out of 5. Outstanding: bred for public parks without treatments.

How much sun does Scarlet Meidiland need?

Sun and shade; tolerates partial shade.

What does Scarlet Meidiland smell like?