Rosa gallica
French rose
Central and southern Europe to western Asia
Overview
Rosa gallica is a suckering deciduous shrub reaching 2-4 ft (60-120 cm) tall and spreading 3-5 ft (90-150 cm) by underground runners to form low thickets. Stems are clothed in mixed small prickles and stiff bristles rather than the broad hooked thorns carried by most modern roses. Pinnately compound leaves bear 3-5 leathery leaflets, each 1-2.4 in (2.5-6 cm) long, dark green and rough-textured above with paler, slightly downy undersides. Single flowers open 2-3.5 in (5-9 cm) across in pink to deep rose-pink, five broad petals surrounding a boss of golden stamens, borne singly or in twos and threes on short side shoots. Flowering comes once in early summer on wood formed the previous year, followed by rounded brick-red hips 0.4-0.6 in (10-15 mm) wide. The species stands behind the gallica group of old garden roses and contributed to the damask and alba lines. Suckers travel well beyond the original crown and are awkward to extract from among the bristly stems. Foliage is prone to blackspot and mildew in still, humid air, while the open flowers are worked steadily by bees and the hips feed birds into winter.
Native Range
Native to central and southern Europe east through the Balkans to Turkey and the Caucasus. It grows on dry grassland, scrub margins, open woodland edges, and rocky slopes, and has naturalized more widely through long cultivation.Suggested Uses
Grown in cottage and heritage gardens, mixed shrub borders, and informal hedges where a suckering habit is welcome, spaced 3-4 ft (90-120 cm) apart. It suits pollinator and wildlife plantings for its open flowers and persistent hips, and binds sandy banks well. Dried petals are used in potpourri.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2' - 4'
Width/Spread3' - 5'
Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years
Bloom Information
Flowers open once in early summer, generally June into early July in temperate gardens, with the display concentrated into a three to four week period. Individual blooms last two to three days. There is no repeat flush; hips colour from late summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
dark greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Rosa gallica grows in full sun to light shade and flowers most heavily with at least 6 hours of direct sun. It accepts most soils from sand to clay loam provided drainage is free, and tolerates a wide pH range of 5.5-7.5 including shallow chalk. Established plants are notably drought tolerant for a rose and need supplemental water only in prolonged dry spells. A single spring feed of balanced rose fertilizer is enough; rich soil encourages soft growth and fewer flowers. The suckering habit widens the clump steadily, so runners are severed annually where space is limited, or the shrub is grown on its own roots where it can colonize freely. Blackspot, powdery mildew, aphids, and rose rosette disease can affect plants in crowded or humid sites.Pruning
Prune immediately after flowering in midsummer. Flowers form on wood made the previous season, so winter pruning removes the coming display. Take out dead, damaged, and crossing stems, shorten flowered side shoots by about a third, and cut one or two of the oldest canes to the base to renew the shrub. Suckers can be severed below ground level to contain spread. Leave late-summer growth unpruned so hips can develop.Pruning Schedule
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summer