PERLA NEGRA – dark red hybrid tea rose – Delbard
Imagine returning from the shore, salt in the air and a fresh mug of tea, and being greeted by the velvety blooms of PERLA NEGRA on your veranda: a compact, upright hybrid tea that fits easily into small family gardens yet offers the depth of colour usually reserved for show benches. Its own-root form settles in steadily, promising a long, reliable life and the reassurance that, if weather or pruning are less than perfect, it will quietly regenerate and regain its shape. Chosen for UK conditions where strong winds and coastal gusts can test any planting, this rose anchors well in the soil while its bushy habit remains neat, even in shingle-style beds. Over time it builds from establishing roots in the first year, to stronger shoots in the second, reaching its full ornamental value by the third, with repeat flowering that keeps the deep, almost black-red buds coming. Plant it in a generously sized container or a well-drained bed, add silver grasses or sea kale, and you have an easy, long-lived focal point that quietly delivers everyday elegance and seaside drama.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Small coastal veranda container (40–50 litre minimum) |
Compact height and upright, bushy growth make this variety ideal for a single statement pot that will not overwhelm a small veranda, while the dark, velvety flowers provide a dramatic backdrop to morning coffee or evening tea for beginners. |
| Feature rose in a shingle or gravel bed |
The strong, well-anchored root system of an own-root shrub copes well where soil is stony or over shingle, suiting coastal-style gardens where wind and salt-laden air demand sturdy planting rather than fussy, high-maintenance borders for homeowners. |
| Mixed border in an average-sized family garden |
Moderate height and 50–70 cm spread allow easy integration into existing plantings, with enough presence for a focal clump but without stealing light from nearby perennials, making border planning straightforward for busy. |
| Cutting patch for dark, classic hybrid tea blooms |
High-centred, large, solitary flowers on long, upright stems give you traditional exhibition-style blooms for the vase, so you can enjoy the same deep burgundy-red indoors without needing specialist cutting-garden skills for hobbyists. |
| Low, formal row along a path or seating area |
Regular but not excessive repeat flowering and a bushy, upright habit create a tidy low line of colour; simple deadheading is usually all that is needed to keep the display smart beside paths or patio seating for families. |
| Clay-based garden with improved drainage |
Once planted into clay that has been opened up with grit or organic matter, the own-root structure establishes steadily and copes well with UK wet–dry cycles, reducing the risk of losses in heavier soils for gardeners. |
| Sheltered, sunny town garden bed or pot |
Tolerant of heat with excellent colour retention, this rose keeps its dark, velvety tones even on bright city patios; a sheltered position from the prevailing wind helps the buds open cleanly in changeable urban weather for urbanites. |
| Coastal-style planting with sea kale and ornamental grasses |
Dark red flowers contrast beautifully with bluish foliage and fine grasses, while the own-root habit supports long-term structure in breezier sites where strong winds and salty gusts can challenge less robust roses for coastal. |
Styling ideas
- Harbour-Veranda – Grow PERLA NEGRA in a 50–60 litre clay pot with sea kale and trailing thyme to echo Cornish harbour walls – ideal for coastal-style lovers.
- Twilight-Border – Set it amid blue verbena and grey Festuca for a moody dusk palette that glows against gravel – perfect for relaxed family gardens.
- Tea-Corner – Flank a small seating nook with two matching shrubs in square planters, paired with lavender for scent – suited to beginners wanting easy structure.
- Shingle-Dramatic – Plant in a shingle bed with yellow yarrow and low grasses, letting the dark blooms provide a theatrical focal point – good for design-conscious homeowners.
- Cottage-Modern – Combine with soft perennials and a few clipped forms for a bridge between classic roses and contemporary lines – appealing to hobby gardeners upgrading existing borders.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose; registered as DELurt, marketed as Perla Negra Hybrid tea rose DELurt, also shown as Perle Noire at exhibitions; part of the hybrid tea rose commercial group. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Georges Delbard, Roseraies Georges Delbard, France; complex parentage including ‘Impeccable’, ‘Papa Meilland’, ‘Gloire de Rome’, ‘Charles Mallerin’, ‘Gay Paris’, ‘Rouge Meilland’ and ‘Soraya’; introduced 1976. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright shrub reaching around 85–115 cm high and 50–70 cm wide; moderately dense, matte dark green foliage; moderately thorny shoots; weak self-cleaning, so spent blooms benefit from regular deadheading. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double flowers with 26–39 petals, typically solitary and high-centred, classic cut-rose type; strong remontant habit with a particularly profuse second flush after the main early-summer flowering period has finished. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep, velvety dark red blooms, almost black in bud; RHS 187A, 53B; colour holds very well in sunlight, fading only slightly to a muted mauve while the velvety surface remains, giving a long-lasting, richly coloured display. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Fragrance is very weak, with only a faint, delicate rosy character detectable at close range; chosen mainly for colour and flower form rather than scent, so best combined with aromatic companion plants nearby. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hip formation is limited due to the double flowers; occasionally small, ellipsoid orange-red hips, around 10–14 mm in diameter, may develop if spent blooms are left in place late in the season. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7; Swedish zone 3; USDA 6b); good heat tolerance but needs watering in prolonged drought; disease resistance moderate overall, with good black-spot resistance but some susceptibility to mildew and rust. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suitable for beds, specimens, hedging, containers and cutting; plant 50–90 cm apart depending on use; prefers sun to light shade; medium maintenance with routine deadheading and occasional plant-protection treatments as needed. |
PERLA NEGRA offers velvety dark red blooms, compact, versatile growth and steady, long-lived performance from its own-root form; consider it if you would like a quietly dramatic focal rose.
