ROGER LAMBELIN – burgundy-red and white historic Hybrid Perpetual rose - Schwartz
Step into a romantic, storybook corner of the garden with heritage drama: Roger Lambelin’s velvety burgundy-red blooms are finely traced with white, giving an almost hand-painted look that feels made for afternoon tea beneath an arbour. This bushy, medium-sized shrub settles well into typical British family plots and copes reliably with exposed conditions where summer breezes roll in from the sea and bring frequent showers. Strong, enduring colour and a reblooming habit mean you can enjoy waves of flowers through the season, while its resistant nature keeps maintenance pleasantly light. As an own-root plant it offers quiet longevity, the ability to regenerate if cut back hard, and stable character over time, suiting busy owners who want lasting charm more than constant chores.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Cottage-style flower bed near a seating area |
The dark burgundy-red and white bicolour flowers create a striking, old-fashioned focus close to where you sit, ideal beside a small terrace or bench. Repeating flushes keep interest going through summer with little intervention, pleasing those seeking traditional charm with low effort for romantic cottage gardeners. |
| Specimen shrub in a lawn or gravel circle |
A single, bushy plant on its own patch of lawn or in a gravel surround shows off the unusual petal edging from all sides. The structured, medium height works well in average family gardens, giving presence without overshadowing windows, for homeowners wanting a focal rose. |
| Historic or “Victorian” themed corner |
As a Hybrid Perpetual with show-winning Victorian credentials, it naturally suits an area planted to evoke period gardens. Pair with lavender and old-style perennials to emphasise its background and enjoy its long-lived, own-root reliability for lovers of heritage planting. |
| Low-maintenance mixed border with shrubs and perennials |
Good disease resistance and modest pruning needs make it easy to tuck into a mixed border without adding a long task list. In typical UK conditions, its foliage stays presentable with sensible watering, supporting busy routines for time-pressed family gardeners. |
| Informal hedge or loose boundary row |
Planted at the recommended spacing, its bushy habit creates a softly informal division between garden areas. Repeat flowering along the row provides a romantic, slightly theatrical backdrop, particularly suited to classic family plots for those shaping cosy garden rooms. |
| Feature for cooler, breezy sites |
In parts of the country where summers are mild and often breezy, the blooms hold their rich colour especially well and the shrub anchors nicely into the soil over time, bringing dependable structure and flower across years for gardeners in exposed locations. |
| Long-term “anchor” rose in a cottage border |
Planted once and given space, the own-root shrub matures steadily, its woody framework and ground-up growth giving a sense of permanence and stable flowering rhythm year after year, ideal as a backbone plant for planners of enduring gardens. |
| Large container on a terrace or by the front door |
In a 40–50 litre container, regular watering and feeding support healthy bushy growth and repeat bloom, while own-root resilience makes it more forgiving of pruning and occasional setbacks, bringing period character right up to the house for busy urban balcony owners. |
Styling ideas
- VictorianCentrepiece – Plant Roger Lambelin alone in a circular bed edged with low box or dwarf lavender to echo formal Victorian gardens – ideal for heritage rose enthusiasts seeking a period accent.
- CottageRibbon – Thread it through a border of foxgloves, catmint and hardy geraniums, letting the bicolour blooms pop against soft blues and mauves – perfect for those building a relaxed English cottage look.
- BerryTones – Combine with Panicum ‘Sangria’ and deep red dahlias for a rich, berry-coloured strip along a path – suited to gardeners who enjoy bold, romantic colour with minimal fuss.
- KitchenCompanion – Position near a kitchen garden fence with herbs such as thyme and chives, giving fragrance at the edge of productive beds – good for home cooks wanting ornamental charm beside their vegetables.
- SeatingNook – Flank a simple bench with two shrubs underplanted with white campanula and soft grasses, creating a storybook corner for afternoon tea – appealing to families wanting a cosy retreat outdoors.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Roger Lambelin, Hybrid Perpetual heritage rose; historical garden rose type. ARS Exhibition Name: Roger Lambelin. Unregistered cultivar, traded as a heritage rose selection in specialist collections. |
| Origin and breeding |
Sport of ‘Prince Camille de Rohan’, bred by Marie-Louise Schwartz, France, around 1890. Introduced by Pépinières Veuve Schwartz, later distributed internationally, including by E. Horton & Co. in Australia from 1900. |
| Awards and recognition |
Recognised in American Rose Society Victorian classes: Victorian Awards from Columbus, Cleveland and Sacramento Rose Society Shows, reflecting its merit as a classic Hybrid Perpetual exhibition rose. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy shrub to around 100–160 cm high and 100–150 cm wide, with moderately dense, matt mid-green foliage and moderate prickliness; forms a rounded outline suitable for beds, borders and specimen use. |
| Flower morphology |
Semi-double, 17–25-petalled, medium-sized flat blooms, mostly solitary on stems. Reblooms well with a particularly generous second flush when properly watered and fed, providing repeat ornamental display through the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Burgundy-red with irregular white edging; ARS RB, RHS 187A outer, 61B inner. Colour deepens to lilac then softens, holding best in cooler, less intense sun. Fades more in strong heat yet remains strikingly bicoloured. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, long-lasting scent in line with many Hybrid Perpetuals, giving a pronounced perfume presence around seating areas and paths; detailed fragrance notes are not recorded but aroma is consistently rated as intense. |
| Hip characteristics |
Slight fruit set due to semi-double flowers and continuous blooming; when present, small spherical red hips, around 9–15 mm in diameter, add modest seasonal interest in late season without dominating the plant. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Good disease resistance reported, with notable tolerance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust. Hardy to approximately –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b), suitable for most UK regions with normal garden care. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with regular watering, especially in dry spells. Responds well to standard pruning; remove spent blooms and thin older wood. Allow space per recommended distances for borders, hedging or specimen planting. |
Roger Lambelin offers dramatic bicolour blooms, strong perfume and dependable repeat flowering on a resilient own-root shrub; consider it if you value historic character with reassuringly straightforward care.
