Recently, we wrote about my favorite rose, Francis Meilland. While it might be my favorite, the number of roses that tie for second place is quite extensive. Perhaps at the top of the list is the always beautiful (and very underrated), Princess Charlene de Monaco. Her blooms are some of the most fragrant, picture perfect ruffly blooms you’ll ever see. The aroma is a fine mix sweet candy, fresh fruit, and light perfume. Depending on the weather, the petals range from warm peach (cooler temps) to a light blush (summer temps).
Princess Charlene de Monaco is tall and rather compact. As her height in our fields can reach over 7’ by mid summer, she’s only 2.5-3’ wide, which makes her a very manageable plant. The canes are strong and stand upright while supporting sprays of ruffly blooms. The long, hardy canes have taken on the mighty 60-70+ mph Santa Ana winds we get here in Southern California and have impressively held their ground.
Due to the size (mainly height) of Princess Charlene de Monaco, she makes an excellent hedge at the back of the garden or a beautiful focal point with her numerous blooms all season long. The plant is extremely disease resistance with lush green foilage and thrives when getting full sun and fertilized occasionally.
Princess Charlene de Monaco has won multiple awards and is also another beauty from the Meilland family. We can’t recommend this rose enough and feel it should easily be a staple in so many gardens.
