CHARLES DE GAULLE® – purple tea-hybrid rose - Meilland
Imagine a sheltered coastal veranda where you sip tea behind a gentle windbreak, the air carrying both sea-salt and the fragrance of lilac‑mauve roses. CHARLES DE GAULLE® is a refined hybrid tea chosen for its distinctive colour and classic high‑centred blooms, ideal for smaller beds and large containers where you can appreciate every detail. This own‑root, 2‑litre plant is bred for longevity, building strong roots in its first season, maturing its structure in the second, and reaching full ornamental impact by the third. In cool, breezy gardens it offers a consistently elegant display, while its almost thornless stems and reliable cutting quality mean arranging home‑grown, perfumed blooms is remarkably simple.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Sunny coastal veranda in a large container |
Best in a warm, sheltered spot where its perfume can collect and be enjoyed at sitting height; use a 40–50 litre pot with free‑draining compost so roots anchor well despite the breeze, offering reliable structure for coastal veranda owners |
| Feature rose for small family front gardens |
Its upright, bushy habit fits narrow beds by paths or drives, giving a formal look without needing many plants; place near doors or windows so the very strong citrus‑verbena scent greets returning homeowners |
| Cutting patch or dedicated rose bed |
High‑centred, exhibition‑type blooms on near‑thornless stems are easy to harvest, while repeat flowering ensures a steady supply of scented stems for vases and informal arrangements that suit enthusiastic hobby‑gardeners |
| “Girly” coastal shingle planting |
Combine its muted lavender‑lilac flowers with pale gravel, sea kale and soft grasses for a feminine, seaside feel that stays elegant even in changeable rain and wind along exposed British coasts for style‑conscious coastal‑gardeners |
| Compact mixed border with perennials |
The dense foliage and defined height make it a good vertical accent among perennials like Coreopsis or Anemone ‘Fantasy Belle’, adding structure and repeat colour without overwhelming modest‑sized beds for space‑limited gardeners |
| Scent‑focused seating area |
Position beside a favourite bench or breakfast terrace so the garden‑filling perfume is concentrated where you sit, creating a calm, luxurious feel even in ordinary suburban plots for aroma‑loving beginners |
| Single statement rose near entrance or gate |
A solitary plant at 80–110 cm tall gives a clear focal point with refined colour that reads well from the pavement, signalling a curated, intentional garden without needing an elaborate planting plan for busy urbanites |
| Long‑term own‑root investment planting |
As an own‑root rose it regenerates well from the base, maintaining its true variety even after hard pruning and weather setbacks, providing stable ornamental value over many seasons for forward‑thinking rose‑collectors |
Styling ideas
- Coastal-Tea-Corner – Place in a 50 litre tub beside a bistro set on shingle, with sea kale and Festuca for a salty, breezy tea spot – ideal for veranda owners wanting low‑effort charm
- Lavender-Mist-Border – Interplant with Lavandula and pale pink perennials so the lilac‑mauve blooms and strong perfume create a soft, romantic haze – suited to small front gardens
- Cutting-Strip-Elegance – Run a short row along a sunny fence with Gypsophila for easy, near‑thornless cutting and airy vase companions – perfect for home florists
- Pastel-Anchor-Planting – Use one plant as a vertical anchor amid low, silver foliage and grasses, letting its repeat flowers punctuate the season – best for tidy, design‑minded owners
- Evening-Scent-Nook – Flank a bench with two large containers so the verbena‑like fragrance pools in still evening air – made for those who relax outdoors after work
Technical cultivar profile
| Characteristic |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as MEIlanein and marketed as CHARLES DE GAULLE® PERFUMELLA®; classic exhibition‑type cultivar with high‑centred blooms and verified authenticity for home gardens. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Marie‑Louise Meilland, France, 1974, from complex hybrid tea parentage including ‘Sissi’, ‘Prélude’, ‘Sondermeldung’ and ‘Caprice’; registration in 1976 extended its international availability. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly regarded for fragrance, with multiple international perfume prizes in the 1970s, including Monza, Rome, Madrid, Geneva and Belfast awards, confirming enduring value as a scented garden rose. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy shrub 80–110 cm tall and 50–70 cm wide, with dense mid‑green, slightly glossy foliage and very few thorns, forming a neat, easily managed plant in borders or large containers. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium, double, high‑centred blooms with 26–39 petals on mostly solitary stems; classic pointed buds and good stem length make it suitable for cutting, though spent flowers need manual deadheading. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Cool lavender‑lilac flowers with a silvery sheen, opening from deeper crimson‑tinted buds and fading towards pastel lavender‑grey; colour holds best in cooler conditions, with stronger fading in high heat. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, garden‑filling scent with a sweet, citrus‑verbena character; best appreciated near seating or paths, and one of the main reasons for its long‑standing popularity among scented rose enthusiasts. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces few hips due to double blooms; where formed, they are small, ovoid, 11–15 mm, and orange‑red, adding modest late‑season interest without significantly distracting from flowering performance. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −15 to −12 °C (RHS H6, Swedish zone 2, USDA 7b); heat tolerance is moderate and disease resistance is modest, so regular monitoring and timely treatments are recommended. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Prefers full sun and rich, well‑drained soil; plant 50–60 cm apart, water consistently in dry spells, and deadhead spent blooms; own‑root plants respond well to rejuvenation pruning as they establish. |
CHARLES DE GAULLE® MEIlanein rewards you with exquisite lilac‑mauve blooms, intense fragrance and graceful structure, while its own‑root form supports long, stable performance in your garden; consider it when planning your next focal planting.
