SIMONE VEIL – red hybrid tea rose – Orard
Bring a touch of storybook romance to your garden with SIMONE VEIL, a premium hybrid tea rose whose deep ruby blooms and strong, spicy-tea fragrance turn everyday moments into afternoon-tea memories. Bred by Roseraies Orard and supplied as a robust, own-root plant, it settles reliably even in breezier, wetter spots where careful drainage and shelter matter. Its compact, upright habit suits smaller family plots and front gardens, while dense foliage and long, straight stems make it equally at home in a cutting border. Repeating generously through summer, each very double, high-centred flower opens with a velvety, full colour that barely fades, adding depth to cottage-style schemes and mixed beds. With moderate care and simple seasonal tasks, it will reward you year after year as its own-root strength quietly builds, combining enduring beauty with practical garden ease.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Feature rose by a seating area or terrace |
The rich ruby blooms and high-centred hybrid tea form create a romantic focal point near a bench or patio set, ideal for that quiet afternoon-tea feel. The strong, spicy-tea scent carries well in still air, enriching small urban or courtyard gardens for beginners. |
| Cutting patch for home arrangements |
Long, straight stems and very double, high-centred flowers are classic cut-rose traits, giving you vase-worthy blooms over a long season. The strong fragrance holds indoors, and repeat flowering means regular picking without stripping the plant, appealing to homeowners. |
| Compact hybrid tea bed in a family garden |
The upright, proportionate habit and 80–110 cm height allow neat mass planting at recommended spacings, forming a structured, easily managed bed. Dense foliage helps the planting read as full and finished even between flushes, reassuring families. |
| Cottage-style mixed border with perennials |
The deep, velvety red partners beautifully with foxgloves, hostas and pale perennials, giving classic cottage-garden contrast. Moderate maintenance and straightforward deadheading keep it presentable without specialist skills, making it practical for hobby-gardeners. |
| Large container on a terrace or balcony |
Its compact spread suits a generous container of at least 40–50 litres, where regular watering and feeding can be easily managed. The strong scent and neat habit bring a refined presence to paved spaces, suiting time-poor city-dwellers. |
| Formal front-garden planting or low hedge |
Consistent height and upright structure give a smart, repeat-flowering line along paths or driveways. Reliable flower form and colour retention create a polished look with moderate care, appealing to traditional-style garden-owners. |
| Mixed rose border in variable UK weather |
This variety copes reliably with typical British showers and breezier spells when sited with sensible soil preparation and protection from prolonged drought, making it a steady choice for those facing unsettled summers among busy commuters. |
| Long-term focal point in a small garden plan |
As an own-root plant, it develops steadily from a well-rooted young shrub into a resilient, long-lived rose with dependable flowering and easy rejuvenation through simple pruning over the years, giving confidence to cautious buyers. |
Styling ideas
- Tea-terrace focus – Plant a trio beside a bistro set, underplanted with soft catmint, so the fragrance and rich red blooms frame afternoon tea – ideal for scent-loving homeowners.
- Cottage ribbon – Thread SIMONE VEIL through a border of foxgloves, salvias and ornamental grasses for a relaxed English-countryside edge – perfect for romantic cottage-garden fans.
- Elegant hedge – Create a low, repeating line along a path at the recommended spacing, pairing with clipped box or lavender for structure – suited to formal front-garden planners.
- Balcony statement – Grow a single plant in a 50-litre clay pot with trailing thyme and heuchera, giving vertical colour and scent to compact spaces – practical for busy urban gardeners.
- Cutting corner – Dedicate a sunny bed with several plants in rows, backed by cornus stems for winter structure and year-round interest – appealing to home flower-arranging enthusiasts.
Technical cultivar profile
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose from the Parfums de Lyon collection; registered as ORAcolhac, marketed as Simone Veil Parfums de Lyon® ORAcolhac, a premium garden and cutting variety. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Pierre Orard, Roseraies Orard (France), with unknown parentage; selected and introduced in France in 2015 as a richly scented, red hybrid tea for gardens and cutting. |
| Awards and recognition |
Recipient of the Prix du Public at the International New Roses Competition in Barcelona in 2015, reflecting strong public appreciation of its flower quality and fragrance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, medium-height shrub reaching about 80–110 cm with a 45–60 cm spread; dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickles support a compact, tidy garden presence. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, very double, high-centred blooms with more than 40 petals, borne mainly in clusters; strongly repeat-flowering with particularly abundant second flush, though weakly self-cleaning so benefits from deadheading. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Closed buds are dark, glossy crimson; opening to intense fire-red outer petals with carmine highlights, holding a deep ruby red with slight crimsoning and darker edge as flowers age, with only modest fading. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, noticeable scent with a spicy, tea-like character; primarily ornamental rather than for culinary or cosmetic use, yet ideal where perfumed garden seating or cut blooms are desired. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasionally forms small, ovoid red hips about 12–16 mm across, adding a discreet seasonal accent but not a primary ornamental or wildlife feature of this cultivar. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Moderate disease resistance to black spot, mildew and rust; hardy to approximately –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b), with best performance in sunny, well-watered, well-drained UK garden positions. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with regular watering, especially in warm spells; suitable for beds, hedging and large containers, with occasional pest and disease checks and routine deadheading to sustain flowering. |
SIMONE VEIL Parfums de Lyon® ORAcolhac offers intensely scented, velvety red blooms on a compact, upright plant that suits beds or large containers, and in own-root form promises enduring, easily rejuvenated beauty for those considering a refined garden upgrade.
