''Rosa'' 'Ispahan', also known as '
Rose d'Ispahan'
and '
Pompon des Princes'
, is a clear pink, half-open kind of
Damask rose, a type of garden rose introduced from Asia to Europe during the crusading 13th century.
Description
The double flowers are big, reaching a diameter of , and have a strong, sweet fragrance.
They appear in great numbers in clusters that can hold up to 15 flowers,
and are well suited as cut flowers.
Their colour is described as silky medium pink, with a slightly darker middle, and fades only slightly.
'Ispahan' flowers only once, but for six weeks – the longest of all Damask roses.
The vigorous shrub grows tall and wide, with an overhanging form, light green foliage, and few big prickles.
It is robust, disease resistant, and winter hardy up to -20 °C (
USDA zone 5 to 6).
The cultivar tolerates half shade, poor soils and is well suited for harsher climates. It can be grown in containers, solitary, in groups or as hedges.
History
Its origin is unclear – it was introduced in the UK by the garden designer
Norah Lindsay (1873–1948), but was probably developed in the early 19th century – probably in Persia.
The cultivar is named 'Ispahan' after the city
Isfahan
Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, renowned for its gardens and roses, where the cultivar was discovered in a garden.
The cultivar is still popular.
David Austin still recommends it highly as free flowering, among the first
Old Roses to start blooming and the last to continue, and for its fine Damask fragrance.
Peter Beales counts it as one of his favourite Damask roses,
Christine Meile calls the flowering 'Ispahan' the most attractive rose bush and an ideal solitaire plant, if one has enough space.
In 1993, and was granted the
Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
It includes the full range of cultivated p ...
of the
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...
.
References
External links
*
Peaceful Habitations Rose Gardens*
{{Rose, state=collapsed
Ispahan