Deep, velvety dark‑purple petals with a vivid white eye in the centre. - flowerbed, shrub rose - powerful, distinctive scented rose - spicy, clove-scented
– Striking dark-purple blooms with white eye
– Powerful, distinctive spicy clove fragrance
– Bushy, dense habit for bold bedding displays
– Low-maintenance, self-cleaning flowering
– Proven disease resistance, hardy to H7 / USDA 6b Special feature: Awarded Best Modern Shrub Exhibit in Santa Fe (2002).
If You dream of a colourful but easy garden, ROUTE 66™ is a reliable, bushy bedding shrub rose that You can simply plant and enjoy. Its deep purple blooms with a bright white eye appear in generous clusters from early summer, then repeat so well that Your flowerbed rarely looks empty. The naturally bushy form fills small borders and front gardens neatly without complicated shaping, while the good disease resistance suits Ireland’s damp, fungus-prone weather and helps keep maintenance low. Flowers drop cleanly, so the plant stays tidy with little deadheading, and the powerful, clove-like fragrance means You notice it every time You step outside. As an own-root rose it builds up slowly but firmly – roots in year one, strong shoots in year two, full ornamental value by year three – giving a long-lived, dependable shrub that gradually settles into Your garden style. In a well-drained spot that copes with our heavier soils, ROUTE 66™ offers a straightforward, enduring solution for busy gardeners who still want something special by the door or along the path.
Route 66™ shrub rose in full bloom, showing its purple flowers and white eye.
Freshly opened Route 66™ bloom with velvety dark-purple petals and a white centre.
Route 66™ in closed bud stage
Route 66™ showing its late-flowering colour shift.
Use cases
Target area
Reason
Front garden statement shrub
Route 66™ forms a naturally bushy, upright shrub about 100–140 cm tall, creating instant presence beside a doorway, gate or front path without complicated pruning; ideal for a welcoming focal point for the busy homeowner
Colourful flowerbed in family gardens
The velvety dark-purple blooms with a bright white eye give strong colour contrast even from a distance, keeping a small family flowerbed lively and interesting through the season for the colour-loving gardener
Low-maintenance rose border
Good overall disease resistance and naturally self-cleaning flowers mean less spraying and deadheading, which suits Irish gardens where damp weather encourages fungal problems, reducing routine tasks for the low-maintenance enthusiast
Compact rose hedge or edging
With a spread of 75–110 cm and recommended hedge spacing around 55 cm, its dense, glossy foliage and repeated flowering create a neat, colourful edging that reads clearly along drives or paths for the orderly planner
Relaxed cottage-style planting
The freely branching, bushy habit and repeated clusters of single flowers blend naturally with perennials and cottage favourites, giving a slightly informal, storybook look that still remains manageable for the romantic beginner
Lightly scented seating area
The powerful, spicy clove fragrance carries well around a bench or patio, so a single plant or small group can perfume an evening seating area without needing constant care by the evening relaxer
Long-term structural planting
As an own-root shrub it develops its permanent framework where it is planted, regrowing reliably from the base after hard winters or pruning and giving many years of use to the long-term planner
Large container on balcony or terrace
In a 40–50 litre or larger pot with good drainage it makes a compact, repeat-flowering feature shrub, ideal where soil is heavy or space is limited, offering a simple, contained rose solution for the urban balcony owner
Decorating ideas
Doorway Accent – Plant one Route 66™ by your front door with lavender and rosemary at its feet to echo the purple tones and give year-round scent – ideal for homeowners who want a simple but welcoming entrance.
Colour-Rich Border – Combine a small group of Route 66™ with Coreopsis grandiflora and dwarf Michaelmas daisies for a long-season mix of purple, yellow and soft lilac – perfect for families who enjoy vibrant, cheerful beds.
Cottage Path Edge – Line a garden path with well-spaced plants, weaving in catmint and hardy geraniums so the loose, bushy roses soften the edges – suited to those seeking a relaxed cottage feel without complex design.
Easy-Care Focal Pot – Grow a single plant in a 50 litre terracotta tub with trailing thyme and seasonal bedding, creating a movable focal point for patios – ideal for balcony and terrace gardeners working with limited soil.
Evening Fragrance Corner – Place Route 66™ near a bench, underplanted with white flowering perennials so the clove perfume and bicolour blooms stand out in low light – great for anyone who unwinds outdoors after work.
Technical cultivar profile
Parameter
Data
Name and registration
Modern shrub rose, bedding type; registered as WEKmorfis, traded as Route 66™ Bedding rose WEKmorfis, ARS exhibition name Route 66, collection bedding rose, shrub rose category.
Origin and breeding
Bred by Tom Carruth (Weeks Roses, USA), cross of complex purple and miniature parents including Sweet Chariot and Blue Nile; bred 2001, registered 2002, introduced commercially 2003.
Awards and recognitions
Santa Fe Rose Society Show, Best Modern Shrub Exhibit 2002, reflecting ornamental value and show quality; regarded as a premium silver merit cultivar in its product range.
Growth and structure
Bushy, upright shrub reaching about 100–140 cm in height and 75–110 cm spread; dense, dark green glossy foliage, moderately thorny stems and naturally branching framework suitable for beds and low hedging.
Flower morphology
Medium-sized, flat, single to semi-double blooms with 5–12 petals carried in clusters; remontant with abundant second flush; good self-cleaning as most spent flowers drop naturally, reducing deadheading needs.
Colour and phenology
Closed buds almost black-purple; freshly open flowers velvety deep purple with a bright white eye and golden stamens; colour lightens to rosy purple and then muted pink-lilac as the white centre turns creamy, with good overall colour retention.
Fragrance and aroma
Powerful, distinctive clove-like spicy scent that is noticeable around the plant, especially in still air; suitable for fragrance-focused planting near doors, paths or seating where the perfume can be appreciated in passing.
Rose hip characteristics
Rose hip set is limited, but small spherical orange-red hips around 7–9 mm may form; these provide a light decorative effect later in the season without significantly impacting flowering performance.
Resistance and hardiness
Hardy to approximately -21 to -18 °C (USDA zone 6b, RHS H7, Swedish zone 3); disease profile resistant to powdery mildew, medium for black spot, resistant to rust, giving reliable performance in humid, cool-summer climates.
Horticultural recommendations
Best in full sun with well-drained soil; spacing about 65 cm for mass beds, 55 cm for hedges, 100 cm as a specimen; 2.5–2.9 plants/m² in mass plantings; minimal pruning and watering needed once established, suitable for low-maintenance schemes.
ROUTE 66™ gives intense purple colour, a bushy easy-care habit and long-lived own-root reliability for family gardens and containers, making it a confident choice if You want a rose that simply works.
Flower Colour:
Deep, velvety dark‑purple petals with a vivid white eye in the centre.
Closed Bud:
Dark purple with a surface that leans almost towards black.
Freshly Opened Flower:
Velvety black-purple petals with a contrasting snow-white centre.
Full Bloom:
The purple tone lightens slightly, the white eye expands, and the golden-yellow stamens are prominently visible.
Pre-Fading Flower:
The purple shade softens to a more muted pink-lilac and the white centre turns creamy.
Colour Fading Description:
During opening, the dark black‑purple tone moderately lightens to a rosy‑purple and the white eye enlarges and turns creamy.
Pollinator Attraction:
Only weakly attractive to pollinators, especially when the flowers are semi-double or fully double and the stamens are partially or fully concealed, which reduces insect access.
Pollinator-Friendly Rating:
Single-flowered; only limitedly attractive to pollinators, so its pollinator-friendliness is low.
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.
