CHARLES MALLERIN – deep red hybrid tea rose – Meilland & Meilland
If You dream of a classic deep-red rose that simply gets on with the job, Charles Mallerin is an easy-care hybrid tea that suits Irish family gardens perfectly. Its bushy, upright habit and reliable repeat flowering give You season-long colour with just light routine care, while strong fragrance fills the air around paths and seating areas. This pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL 2‑litre own‑root plant settles in steadily, forming its long‑lived bush structure directly in Your soil and coping well even where heavy clay needs thoughtful drainage. Disease resistance is excellent, so foliage stays clean and handsome without complicated spraying. With adequate watering and feeding, it will root in during the first year, build strong shoots in the second, and by the third delivers its full ornamental value. Ideal as a specimen or in small groups, its long‑stemmed blooms are perfect for cutting, bringing that velvety, romantic look indoors as well.
Use cases
| Target area | Reason |
|---|
| Front garden focal point near the entrance |
The upright, bushy habit and velvety deep-red blooms create an immediate sense of welcome beside a doorway or front path. Strong perfume carries on still evenings, giving maximum effect from a single, well-placed plant for beginners |
| Small rose group in a mixed border |
Planted in a group of three, the repeat-flowering habit ensures a steady display through summer, even with only basic feeding and deadheading. The dense foliage forms a neat, rounded structure that anchors lighter perennials and suits a low-input gardener at home |
| Cutting patch for home flower arrangements |
Long, straight stems with solitary, exhibition-type blooms are excellent for cutting, so one or two bushes can supply a home with richly coloured, strongly scented vase flowers. This lets You enjoy traditional hybrid tea roses indoors without needing a large formal rosary indoors |
| Easy-care bed in a busy family garden |
High resistance to black spot, mildew and rust keeps the plant looking healthy in changeable Irish weather, even when You have little time for spraying or complex care. This makes it a good choice for families wanting impact without demanding maintenance families |
| Coastal or exposed suburban front garden |
The robust bush structure and clean foliage perform well in open, breezy positions when planted in soil improved for good drainage on heavier ground, supporting gardeners who contend with cool winds and rain-laden Atlantic fronts during much of the year coastal-owners |
| Container planting on patio or balcony (large pot) |
In a 40–50 litre container with quality compost and regular watering, its compact, upright shape fits well beside seating areas, where the strong fragrance can be appreciated close up. This suits smaller urban gardens or rented spaces where in-ground planting is limited renters |
| Romantic cottage-style bed with perennials |
The nostalgic, velvety red and classic cup-shaped flowers pair beautifully with airy, pastel perennials, giving a timeless cottage feel. Own-root growth ensures the shrub develops steadily over the years into a stable feature, ideal for long-term garden schemes romantics |
| Feature rose in a low-maintenance, long-term scheme |
As an own-root, long-lived hybrid tea with strong disease resistance and remontant flowering, this cultivar is well suited to plant-once, enjoy-for-years designs where the goal is structure and colour with minimal yearly replanting or specialised rose knowledge for planners |
Decorating ideas
- Classic front path duo – Plant two Charles Mallerin roses flanking a front gate or porch, underplanted with Euonymus fortunei 'Minimus' to keep the base neat and evergreen – ideal for homeowners wanting tidy, formal structure with little fuss
- Romantic cottage mix – Combine Charles Mallerin with Gypsophila repens 'Knuddel' and soft pink or white perennials for a lacy underplanting that emphasises its velvety blooms – perfect for lovers of traditional, storybook-style gardens
- Scented patio container – Grow one bush in a 40–50 litre pot near a bench, adding trailing ivy or small sedums around the rim so the red flowers and strong fragrance take centre stage – good for balconies and compact urban spaces
- Evening colour corner – Pair Charles Mallerin with Caryopteris clandonensis 'Grand Bleu' and silvery foliage plants so the deep red and blue tones stand out in low light – suited to those who relax in the garden after work
- Home-cut flower strip – Line a sunny bed with spaced Charles Mallerin plants, leaving room to step in and cut stems, and edge with low lavender for extra scent – made for gardeners who enjoy arranging their own roses indoors
Technical cultivar profile
| Property | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as MEItroni, marketed as Charles Mallerin – deep red hybrid tea rose – Meilland & Meilland; ARS exhibition name: Charles Mallerin; unregistered in official registration year terms. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in France from complex hybrid tea parentage ((‘Rome Glory’ × ‘Congo’) × ‘Tassin’; (Tanrowisa × Meimalyna) × Harkuly) by Francis and Alain Meilland, introduced internationally from 1947 and later reintroduced in 2006. |
| Awards and recognitions |
Holder of ADR (Germany, 2008), All-America Rose Selections award (2013), Biltmore International Rose Trials Pauline Merrell Award (2014), Portland Rose Society Gold Medal and multiple European fragrance and performance prizes. |
| Growth and structure |
Bushy, upright hybrid tea with dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickles. Height around 85–115 cm and spread 70–95 cm, forming a well-filled shrub ideal for beds, borders and specimen planting. |
| Flower morphology |
Double-flowered, solitary hybrid tea blooms with 26–39 petals, large size (approximately 7–10 cm), classic cup form with pronounced high centre. Remontant, with abundant second and later flushes given reasonable feeding and deadheading. |
| Colour and phenology |
Deep, velvety dark red to burgundy flowers, buds tending towards black. Colour holds best in cooler, less intense sun, with some fading in strong heat. Provides a dramatic, uniform deep-red display at full bloom across the season. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strongly scented hybrid tea, perfume noticeable from a distance. Fragrance character richly spicy with nostalgic citrus and classic rose notes, effective for scented beds, patios and cutting where aromatic impact is a key objective. |
| Rose hip characteristics |
Rose hips form only occasionally due to the full double blooms, tending to small, spherical orange-red hips around 10–14 mm in diameter, with limited ornamental impact and minimal self-seeding concerns in family gardens. |
| Resistance and hardiness |
Good disease resistance, rated resistant to powdery mildew, black spot and rust. Hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C (USDA zone 6b, RHS H7, Swedish zone 3), with moderate heat and drought tolerance if watered regularly. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil. Space 50–90 cm depending on use, 3.2–3.7 plants/m² for mass plantings. Regular watering in dry spells and basic feeding support repeat flowering; manual deadheading improves appearance and rebloom. |
CHARLES MALLERIN offers rich fragrance, deep-red exhibition blooms and reliable disease resistance in an own-root form that builds a lasting shrub over time, making it a confident choice if You want a classic hybrid tea that stays rewarding with modest care.
