PINK PANTHER™ – pink tea-hybrid rose - Meilland
Let PINK PANTHER™ bring a sense of refreshment to your coastal-style garden: its elegant, coral-pink blooms feel perfectly at home beside shingle, sea grasses and bleached decking, quietly lighting up smaller spaces without demanding constant attention. This hybrid tea’s upright structure suits narrow borders and veranda planters, while its medium height gives shelter from breezes and helps your seating feel more private on blustery afternoons. Planted in a free-draining spot where winter wet will not linger, it copes well with brisk weather and salt-tinged air carried inland on strong winds, keeping its flowers looking composed through typical British showers. As an own-root rose it offers reassuring longevity and the ability to bounce back after minor setbacks, giving you stable, repeat flowering year after year with only straightforward seasonal care. In the first year it concentrates on roots, the second on building stronger shoots, and by the third season it settles into its full ornamental presence.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Coastal veranda containers (40–50 litre+ pots) |
A substantial 40–50 litre pot gives this upright hybrid tea enough room to anchor securely and cope with exposed, breezy verandas, while its compact spread keeps walkways clear and seating areas uncluttered; ideal for beginners. |
| Small front gardens in townhouses |
The medium height and tidy habit slide easily into narrow front beds, providing a smart, formal accent without overshadowing windows or paths, and the own-root form supports long-term structure for low-fuss homeowners. |
| Family patio seating corner |
Classic, medium-strong rose fragrance and repeat flowers create a gentle backdrop for evening tea, while moderate maintenance means only periodic deadheading and checks, suiting busy families. |
| Sunny mixed border with perennials |
Coral-pink blooms blend softly with geraniums, lady’s mantle and other cottage plants, giving reliable colour between their flowering waves with one straightforward pruning each winter for relaxed gardeners. |
| Specimen rose near doorway or path |
An upright, single-plant display shows off the goblet blooms at eye level, making the most of their colour changes from bud to full flower and providing a neat, welcoming focus for visiting guests. |
| Cutting patch for home arrangements |
Long, straight stems and solitary, very double flowers make it particularly suitable for cutting, so a few plants in a sunny corner can supply vases throughout the season for creative flower-lovers. |
| Lightly sheltered coastal garden bed |
Placed in a well-drained, slightly sheltered position, it copes with brisk seaside weather and salt-laden breezes while still producing refined blooms, supporting stress-free planting choices for coastal residents. |
| Rose hedge or line along a terrace edge |
Regular spacing at 45–50 cm forms a loose, flowering line that helps define terraces or shingle paths, with own-root resilience offering a dependable framework in conditions where wind and rain regularly test coastal owners. |
Styling ideas
- Veranda Elegance – Grow a single PINK PANTHER™ in a 50–60 litre clay pot with silver-blue Festuca around the rim for a calm, coastal look – suited to balcony and veranda dwellers seeking easy impact.
- Shingle Softness – Plant in a free-draining shingle bed with sea kale and pale grasses so the coral-pink blooms float above pebbles – ideal for lovers of naturalistic, beach-inspired gardens.
- Doorway Welcome – Flank a front step with one rose each side, underplanting with Geranium macrorrhizum to fragrance the path – perfect for homeowners wanting a tidy, classic entrance.
- Tea Corner – Place a container-grown plant beside a small seating nook, pairing with Lavender and a low rosemary for scent while you relax – appealing to those who enjoy quiet evening cups outdoors.
- Cutting Strip – Line a sunny fence with several plants at recommended spacing, using the long stems for regular indoor bouquets – designed for home florists who like arranging their own roses.
Technical cultivar profile
| Characteristic |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose; registered as MEIcapinal, marketed as Pink Panther™ Hybrid tea rose MEIcapinal, ARS exhibition name Pink Panther; part of the hybrid tea collection for garden and cutting use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Marie-Louise Meilland (Meilland International, France) from ‘Coppélia 76’ × ‘MEInaregi’; introduced and registered in 1981 by Meilland Richardier as a garden and exhibition hybrid tea. |
| Awards and recognition |
Gold medal The Hague 1981; multiple silver medals across major European trials (Le Roeulx, Geneva, Monza, Saverne); fragrance award The Hague 1982; ADR certification in Germany in 1981. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush to around 80–105 cm high and 50–70 cm wide, with dense, glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickles; suits beds, specimens and containers where a vertical accent is desired. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, very double, goblet to cup-shaped blooms borne mainly solitary on stems; typically above 40 petals per flower, remontant with a generous second flush in suitable, sunny garden conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm coral to salmon-pink base with more vivid pink edges; colour holds well, then softens to powdery, pearly pink tones; buds rich raspberry–coral, flowers medium-deep overall pink at full opening. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength fragrance with a classic May rose character; distinctly noticeable at close range around seating or path edges, especially in warm, still weather typical of sheltered garden corners. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional small, spherical red hips about 6–10 mm across, forming after successful pollination when deadheading is reduced, offering a modest autumn accent without dominating the overall display. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to around −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b); moderate resistance to black spot, mildew and rust; tolerates heat and moderate drought, but benefits from watering in extended dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with free-draining soil; avoid waterlogging, especially in heavier clays; prune in late winter, feed in spring, and monitor pests and diseases periodically for dependable garden performance. |
PINK PANTHER™ Hybrid tea rose MEIcapinal offers elegant cut flowers, compact, upright growth and own-root resilience for long-term ease, making it a thoughtful choice for relaxed coastal and family gardens.
