Rich, velvety deep violet with a delicate slate-grey shading. - historic, portland rose - strongly scented, far-carrying rose - scent description not available
– Rich, velvety deep violet blooms
– Strong, far‑carrying traditional fragrance
– Reliable remontant flowering in season
– Excellent disease resistance on healthy foliage
– Hardy shrub rose for colder climates Gné speisialta: Rós stairiúil Portland clasaiceach ó 1844 le charisma gairdín fíor‑sheanré.
Expert background – Shapes and contours
pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL 2-litre own-root potted rose
19,40 €
4(6225)
INDIGO – violet historic Portland rose - Laffay
If You are looking for a rose that combines old‑world romance with modern reliability, INDIGO is a characterful Portland shrub that fits naturally into Irish family gardens. Its rich violet blooms and full, double flowers appear generously in summer and again later in the season, creating a long window of colour even in smaller borders. This historic Laffay rose is strongly scented, so a single bush near a path or seating area gives You that classic garden fragrance without complicated care. Grown on its own roots, it settles in steadily and offers a long lifespan with the ability to regenerate from the base if ever cut back hard. Disease resistance is reassuringly strong, a real advantage in our humid, changeable weather where fungal issues are common. Once planted in reasonably drained soil, it is content with straightforward maintenance, needing only deadheading and basic feeding. Over time it forms an upright, well‑filled bush that, from year one roots to year two shoots and year three full ornamental display, becomes a dependable feature of Your garden, coping well even where heavy clay needs thoughtful drainage.
Closed bud of Indigo, with dark violet outer petals.
Closed bud of the historic Portland rose Indigo
Use cases
Target area
Reason
Front garden feature shrub
Upright, medium-sized habit makes INDIGO easy to place beside a front path or doorway, giving clear structure without overwhelming a small space, ideal for homeowners seeking a tidy, welcoming entrance beginner gardeners
Romantic cottage-style bed
The dusky violet, double blooms and historic character suit informal cottage plantings with perennials and grasses, creating a soft, nostalgic look that still remains low-fuss to manage rural cottage owners
Small rose group (3–5 plants)
Regular repeat flowering allows a compact group to read as one continuous block of colour across the season, giving maximum impact from limited space with simple care routines busy urban gardeners
Partial shade side garden
Good tolerance of partial shade means it will still flower and hold its colour on east- or north-facing aspects where many roses struggle, widening planting options around the home shaded-garden owners
Low-intervention family bed
High resistance to black spot, mildew and rust reduces the need for sprays and complex monitoring, suiting families who want healthy foliage but prefer minimal ongoing tasks time-poor families
Long-lived specimen in lawn or gravel
As an own-root historic shrub it matures steadily into a durable, well-furnished plant that can be rejuvenated from the base, providing decades of presence with basic pruning only long-term planners
Patio or courtyard container (40–50 litres+)
Performs well in a large, deep container of at least 40–50 litres if drainage is good, bringing heritage character and fragrance close to seating on balconies or small paved spaces apartment and townhouse owners
Coastal and exposed front gardens
Robust foliage and reliable health help it cope where damp winds and cool, wet spells are common, giving colour without constant fuss in changeable Atlantic-influenced conditions coastal gardeners
Decorating ideas
Cottage Curve – Plant INDIGO in a gentle curve with Scabiosa columbaria and low catmint for a soft, flowing edge to a path – ideal for lovers of classic cottage charm.
Violet Focus – Use a single INDIGO as a focal shrub framed by Euonymus japonicus 'Microphyllus' and white foxgloves – perfect for neat front gardens needing one strong accent.
Historic Border – Combine a short row of INDIGO with old-fashioned pink roses and hardy geraniums for a layered, period-style border – suited to heritage and period homes.
Textured Breeze – Group INDIGO with Stipa tenuissima 'Pony Tails' and lavender for movement, perfume and contrast – great for relaxed, low-maintenance family spaces.
Courtyard Fragrance – Grow INDIGO in a 50-litre terracotta pot with trailing thyme at the base – a refined solution for small patios where evening scent matters most.
Technical cultivar profile
Property
Data
Name and registration
Indigo is a historic Portland, Damask Perpetual shrub rose marketed as INDIGO – violet historic Portland rose - Laffay, with American Rose Society exhibition name Indigo and heritage rose collection status.
Origin and breeding
Introduced by French breeder Jean Laffay around 1844–1845, with unknown parentage and unregistered cultivar status, this historical rose reflects early repeat-flowering breeding work from mid-19th century France.
Growth and structure
Upright shrub 100–150 cm high and 80–120 cm wide, moderately thorny, with dense, mid-green, slightly glossy foliage that clothes the stems well, forming a full, bushy outline suitable for beds and specimen use.
Flower morphology
Medium-sized, double, flat blooms with 26–39 petals, carried mainly in clusters. Remontant habit with a generous second flush, though spent flowers benefit from deadheading due to weak self-cleaning tendency.
Colour and phenology
Rich, velvety deep violet flowers with slate-grey shading and purplish-crimson tones, buds nearly black-violet. Colour can lighten in strong sun and deepen in cooler spells, aging towards lilac-grey with soft brownish edges.
Fragrance and aroma
Strong, far-carrying fragrance typical of old garden roses, creating a clear scent presence around paths or seating. Detailed scent descriptors are not documented, but it is considered markedly perfumed in bloom.
Rose hip characteristics
Hip production is generally low; where formed, hips are small, spherical and orange-red, about 10–15 mm in diameter, adding a modest late-season accent without significantly affecting flowering performance.
Resistance and hardiness
Rated H7, hardy to approximately -32 to -29 °C (USDA 4b, Swedish zone 5). Shows strong resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, with moderate heat tolerance and need for watering during long dry periods.
Horticultural recommendations
Suited to beds, parks, hedging and specimen planting, with spacing 90–180 cm depending on use. Happy in average garden soils with drainage, tolerating partial shade; responds well to deadheading and annual pruning.
INDIGO offers richly coloured historic blooms, strong disease resistance and a sturdy, long-lived own-root shrub that matures steadily over the years, making it an easy, rewarding choice if You would like a dependable heritage rose.
Detailed product attributes
Product Identification Data
Product Name:
INDIGO – violet historic Portland rose - Laffay
Product Type:
pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL - 2-litre own-root potted rose
Pollinator Attraction:
The very double flower form and reduced accessibility of the stamens mean it attracts pollinators poorly.
Pollinator-Friendly Rating:
Its double flowers partially cover the stamens, so it attracts pollinators poorly; pollinator-friendliness is limited, primarily an ornamental cultivar.
Our product is a rose grown with unique pharmaROSA® cultivation technology!
2 litre, own-root, potted rose.
With shoots appropriate to the season.
With roots thoroughly interwoven through the growing medium.
Quality in line with the requirements of the E.N.A. (European Nurserystock Association).
In unique packaging that prevents damage.
Can be planted during frost-free periods.
True-to-type rose plant with an individual identifier.
The pharmaROSA® own-root potted rose is a well-rooted plant that supports reliable establishment when planted and cared for properly, so it can be planted whenever the soil is not frozen.
Stock: several varieties and several stages of development in a short stock section.Shoot system: intensive growth of fresh basal shoots on a young plant.Root system: presentation of the strong root system interwoven through the growing medium with the pot removed.Balance: mature plant where the development of the root system and the shoots is in harmony.
Information about the videos
The video series is not a “seasonal showcase”, but makes the essence of pharmaROSA® own-root production tangible: how the plant is built, what the root system is like and how the shoots renew themselves. The footage was therefore taken at different times, showing plants at different stages of development, so mixed leaf coverage or differing growth stages may appear in the videos. This is not a “sample” of the batch delivered, but an illustration of how the technology works. The current condition of the rose available to order — typical of the given period and similar to what you can expect to receive in the parcel — is shown at the top of the product page.
Pages for private customers Garden roses for the family garden, with minimal care → ORIGINAL® Premium garden roses – instant impact, a truly showpiece garden → EXTRA® Pages for professionals and private customers Roses for public spaces – large areas, sustainable maintenance → NATURAL® Roses for projects – hedge and row planting, fast implementation → RAPID® For professional partners only Production – propagation material for garden roses, wholesale → NEONATAL®
Company details
PharmaRosa Ltd. Company registration number: 01-09-717479 VAT number: 13075314-2-43 Plant health registration no.: HU130721 Bank account (IBAN): HU85117631891388688400000000 BIC (SWIFT): OTPVHUHB Bank name: OTP Bank Nyrt.
