The Fragrant Rose List

This list originated in the capable hands of Molineux of GardenWeb/Roses fame. He no longer updates or contributes to this list, but it continues to be a widely sought after reference on the forums and beyond.

Molineux prefaced the list like this: "When I started growing roses I was very disappointed by the lack of fragrance. Like most people I had grown up with the conception that all roses are fragrant. So you can imagine my disappointment when the majority of ARS recommended Hybrid Teas that my mom and I planted lacked any scent at all. This still remains a bone of contention for me and is the inspirational source of this list. Like many gardeners I'm sick and tired of looking at award winning roses and reading the statement "lightly fragrant." What a load of crap! And the same goes for those fancy catalogues, which in my opinion flat out lie about the fragrance of the roses they sell. To put it simply, I want strong fragrance in my roses! Now after years of growing them, visiting public gardens and putting my sniffer to the test I think I have compiled a pretty good list of rose classics with fragrance to die for. You'll also see a great number of recommendations from forum members. Please know that I don't own this list. It is my gift to you. If you wish to add to it go right ahead. All I ask is that if you republish it here on the forum, please give me credit for doing the initial compilation. As always I'm open for suggestions. I do ask that you only recommend a rose that you’ve grown or have grown. I’d like a description of growth habit and disease resistance because these are important considerations for rosarians. If you can also go into length about color, flower form and fragrance (it must be strong), I would appreciate it. Lastly, please be mindful of one thing: our sniffers are different. A rose that may be powerfully fragrant to me or another forum member may not make a terrific impression on you. With that said please enjoy the list.

At this time, I (Suzette Dollar) have taken over the continued compilation of this list. As webmster for this society, I am posting it here for everyone's ease of reference, not only for our society, but for all of GardenWeb and the greater rose loving community.

To submit roses for the list, please read the submission guidelines then, email it to 7 .

ALBAS
  Alba Maxima (blush white)
  Alba Semi Plena (semidouble, pure white)
  Celestial (clear pink)
  Felicite Parmentier (light pink)
  Great Maidens Blush (blush pink)
  Konigan von Danemark (pink blend)
  Madame Legras de Saint Germain (soft white with green button eye)
  Madame Plantier (pale pink bud opening white with green button eye)
  Maiden’s Blush (see Great Maiden’s Blush)
  Rosa Alba Suaveolens (soft white)

BOURBON
  Boule de Neige (pure white)
  Coquette des Blanches (white)
  Honorine de Brabant (pink spotted purple)
  Louise Odier (medium pink)
  Madame Ernest Calvat (see Madame Isaac Periere)
  Madame Isaac Periere (raspberry pink)
  Madame Pierre Oger (soft white tipped lilac pink)
  Maggie (cherry red)
  Reine Victoria (see Madame Pierre Oger)
  Souvenir de la Malmaison (pale pink)
  Variegata di Bologna (white and purple stripe)

BUCKS
  Applejack (single to semi-double, clear pink)
  Distant Drums (light tan brown suffused with smoky pink)
  Earth Song (rose pink)
  Fuzzy Navel (see Winter Sunset)
  Les Sjulin (coral pink)
  Prairie Harvest (pale yellow)
  Silver Shadows (pale silvery lavender)
  Winter Sunset (medium apricot fading to ivory)

CENTIFOLIA
  Blanchefleur (soft white)
  Chapeau de Napoleon (clear pink)
  Crested Moss (see Chapeau de Napoleon)
  Petite de Hollande (medium pink)
  Rosa Centifolia Cristata (See Chapeau de Napoleon)
  Tour de Malakoff (reddish purple)

CHINAS
  Arethusa (pale apricot)
  Cramoisi Superieur (red blend)
  Ducher (crisp linen white)
  Eugene de Beauharnais (rich crimson purple)
  Louis XIV (dark red)
  Old Blush (light pink deepening as it ages to rose pink)
  Sophy's Perpetual (pink blend)

CLIMBERS
  August Gervais (apricot blend)
  Autumn Sunset (apricot yellow)
  Colonial White (See Sombreuil)
  Compassion (salmon pink)
  Don Juan (dark red)
  Guinee (dark red)
  Kathleen Harrop (see Zephirine Drouhin)
  Penny Lane (translucent ivory blushed apricot)
  Royal Gold (bright yellow)
  Royal Sunset (apricot)
  Sombreuil (creamy white)
  Sympathie (dark red)
  Zephirine Drouhin (cerise pink)

DAMASKS
  Celsiana (light pink)
  La Ville de Bruxelles (clear pink)
  Madame Hardy (snowy white)
  Quartre Seasons (clear pink)

FLORIBUNDAS
  Angel Face (1968, dusky mauve)
  Dusky Maiden (deep velvety red turning bright red with age)
  Everest Double Fragrance (light coral pink)
  Intrigue (rich reddish purple)
  Margaret Merril (white with blush pink center)
  Scentimental (white striped with red)
  Sunsprite (bright yellow)

GALLICAS
  Apothecary Rose (deep reddish pink)
  Belle de Crecy (cool medium pink)
  Belle Isis (soft pink)
  Duc de Guiche (crimson, mauve & pink blend)
  Duchesse de Montebello (light pink)
  L'Ingenue (creamy white)
  President de Seize (pink blend)
  Rosa Mundi (white striped with deep reddish pink)

GRANDIFLORA
  Lagerfeld (silvery lavender)
  Melody Parfumee (deep plum fading to clear lavender)
  White Lightnin’ (snowy white)

HYBRID MUSK
  Bloomfield Dainty (single, yellow tinted orange at the petal tips)
  Bubble Bath (light pink)
  Buff Beauty (soft apricot yellow)
  Darlow’s Enigma (pure white)
  Lavender Lassie (orchid pink)

HYBRID PERPETUAL
  Baronne Prevost (medium pink)
  Duchesse de Rohan (rich rose pink)
  Reine des Violettes (cerise pink deepening to soft purple)
  Souvenir du Doctor Jamain (dark red)
  Ulrich Brunner (deep cool pink)
  Yolande d’Aragon (rich rose pink)

HYBRID RUGOSA
  Blanc Double de Coubert (pure white)
  Hansa (magenta)
  Sarah Van Fleet (clear pink)
  Therese Bugnet (pink blend)
  Topaz Jewel (yellow)

HYBRID TEA
  Alec’s Red (1970, subdued red)
  Blue Girl aka Kolner Karneval (clear lavender)
  Blue Moon aka Mainzer Fastnacht (clear lavender)
  Chrysler Imperial (burgundy red)
  Dolly Parton (garish orange red)
  Double Delight (creamy white swirled with strawberry red)
  Fragrant Cloud (coral red)
  French Perfume (pink and yellow bicolor)
  Granada (yellow, orange, scarlet tricolor)
  Halloween (soft orange)
  Heirloom (dark mauve blend)
  Jardins de Bagatelle (creamy white edged pale pink)
  Just Joey (clear apricot)
  Lemon Spice (pastel yellow tinted pale pink)
  Memorial Day (lilac pink)
  Mr. Lincoln (dark red)
  New Day (clear yellow)
  New Zealand (flesh pink)
  Papa Meilland (dark red)
  Radiance (medium to deep pink with a light pink reverse)
  Secret (white tipped pink)
  Sweet Surrender (light pink)
  Tiffany (clear porcelain pink shaded soft yellow at the petal bases)

HYBRID TEA - ROMANTICA
  Auguste Renoir (bright rose pink)
  Comtesse de Provence (soft coral pink)
  Frederic Mistral (light cool pink)
  Rouge Royale (ruby red)
  Toulouse Lautrec (clear yellow)
  Yves Piaget (hot pink)

MINIATURE
  Beauty Secret (cardinal red)
  Cinderella (soft white)
  Pink Poodle (candy pink with white center)
  Scentsational (clear mauve tinted orchid pink)
  Sweet Chariot (purple blend)

MOSS
  Common Moss (pure pastel pink)
  Madame de la Roche Lambert (crimson tinted magenta and purple)
  Mrs. William Paul (clear pink)
  Nuits de Young (rich purple)
  Robert Leopold (salmon pink blend)
  Salet (clear pink)

NOISETTE
  Blush Noisette (pink blend)
  Desprez a Fleur Jaune (See Jaune Desprez)
  Gloire de Dijon (buff beige tinted dawn pink)
  Jaune Desprez (buff apricot)
  Madame Alfred Carriere (pink blend)
  Marechal Niel (clear yellow)

POLYANTHA
  Clothilde Soupert (blush white with soft pink center)
  Katherine Zeimet (creamy white tinted pale yellow at the petal base)
  Little White Pet (pink buds opening white)
  Marie Daly (light pink) see Marie Pavie
  Marie Pavie (ivory white)
  Perle D’Or (clear apricot)
  White Pet (see Little White Pet)

PORTLAND
  Comte de Chambourd (lilac pink)
  Jacques Cartier (light pink)
  Rose de Rescht (vivid fuchsia)

SHRUB - AUSTINS
  Abraham Darby (apricot blend) <
  Ambridge Rose (apricot pink blend)
  Constance Spry (clear pink)
  Cressida (buff apricot blend)
  Eglantyne (clear porcelain pink)
  Evelyn (apricot pink blend)
  Fair Bianca (white with green button eye)
  Falstaff (raspberry red)
  Gertrude Jekyll (rose pink)
  Golden Celebration (rich golden yellow)
  Happy Child (bright yellow)
  Heritage (shell pink)
  Jayne Austin (apricot yellow)
  Jude the Obscure (honey)
  Molineux (yellow blend)
  Pat Austin (coppery orange)
  Radio Times (rose pink)
  Rose Marie (see Heritage)
  Sharifa Asma (pearly pink)
  St. Swithun (soft warm pink blend)
  Tamora (clear apricot)
  The Prince (imperial purple)
  Tradescant (rich burgundy red shaded violet black)

SHRUB ROSE
  Cardinal Hume (tyrian purple)
  Golden Wings (single, clear yellow)
  Sonia Rykiel (soft coral pink)

SPECIES
  Rosa banksiae banksiae (pure white)
  Rosa brunonii (white)
  Rosa moschata (white)
  Rosa rugosa alba (pure white) & rubra (rich reddish pink)

TEA
  Clementina Carbonieri (coral blend)
  Comtesse de Turenne (light pink)
  Duchesse de Brabant (light pink)
  Etoile de Lyon (pale golden yellow)
  Francis Dubreuil (dark true red)
  Gilbert Nabonnand (pale coral pink)
  Jules Gravereau (see Triumphe de Luxemborg)
  Lady Hillingdon (egg yolk yellow)
  Madame Joseph Swartz (see Duchesse de Brabant)
  Madame Wagram (see Comtesse de Turenne)
  Marie d'Orleans (hot pink)
  Mrs. BR Cant (medium cool pink)
  Tipsy Imperial Concubine (pink blend)
  Triumphe de Luxembourg (clear pink)
  William R Smith (blush pink)