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. The stems carry mixed small prickles and stiff bristles rather than the broad hooked thorns of most modern roses. Pinnate leaves bear three to five leathery leaflets, each 1-2.4 in (2.5-6 cm) long, dark green and rough above with paler, slightly downy undersides. Single flowers open 2-3.5 in (5-9 cm) across in pink to deep rose-pink, with five broad petals around a boss of golden stamens, borne singly or in twos and threes on short side shoots. Flowering comes once in early summer on wood from 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 fed into the damask and alba lines. Suckers travel well beyond the original crown and are awkward to pull from among the bristly stems. The foliage is prone to blackspot and mildew in still, humid air, while bees work the open flowers and birds take the hips into winter. Hardy in zones 4-8.
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 spread 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 lasting hips, and it binds sandy banks. 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, with the display packed into three to four weeks. Individual blooms last two to three days. There is no repeat flush; the hips color from late summer. Bees work the open flowers.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
Pink to deep rose-pink, single, 2-3.5 in (5-9 cm) across, with five broad petals around a boss of golden stamensFoliage Description
Dark green, rough above, paler and slightly downy beneath; three to five leathery leaflets 1-2.4 in (2.5-6 cm) longGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 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
Grow in full sun to light shade, with the heaviest bloom at 6 or more hours of direct sun. It takes most soils from sand to clay loam so long as drainage is free, across a pH range of 5.5-7.5, including shallow chalk. Established plants are drought tolerant for a rose and want water only in long dry spells. A single spring feed of balanced rose fertilizer is enough, since rich soil pushes soft growth and fewer flowers. The suckering habit widens the clump steadily, so runners are cut back each year in tight spots, or the shrub is left on its own roots to colonize. Blackspot, powdery mildew, aphids, and rose rosette disease can affect plants in crowded or humid sites.Pruning
Prune right after flowering in midsummer, since flowers form on the previous year's wood and 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 to hold the spread, and late-summer growth is left so hips can form.Pruning Schedule
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summer