Blanchefleur
BLANCHEFLEUR (Centifolia, unknown parentage, 1835) – blush white. Most of the surviving Centifolia
roses are some shade of pink, which makes Blanchefleur a stand out. Personally if I were to grow a white
once blooming Old Garden Rose I’d choose Madame Hardy for her perfection of flower form and fragrance.
Fortunately, Blanchefleur has a few tricks up his sleeve. Although his flowers are less pure of color or
perfect in form, they are larger and are borne in greater profusion on a vigorous, tough plant. Red stained
buds expand quickly into 5 inch domed rosettes of silken petals, then reflex completely into creamy spheres
surmounted by large button eyes. The petals are not symmetrically quartered. Instead they are rumpled like
great handfuls of antique silk. The flowers often show a faint pink blush toward their centers. Their Damask
fragrance is rich and intoxicating, wafting great distances on the breeze. The growth habit is big and sprawling,
forming a broad mound up to 5 feet tall and 7 feet wide. The foliage is pale gray-green and resistant to disease.
Canes are well armed with small yet vicious thorns. Winter hardy to zone 4.
On to Chapeau de Napoleon
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