Gallica Roses

The Rose of Royalty

Long before her, emperors, earls, sultans, kings, queens and religious leaders also saw their rule in the symbolism of the rose – red roses often being the rose of choice for their powerful colour.

And the Gallicas, with their velvety rose-wine flushed blooms infused with rich maroons and purples, were the reddest of roses known in the West prior to the introduction of the Chinas in the late 1700s, early 1800s. 

In the garden, the Gallica rose has a rather distinguished air about it. They are, after all, the great grandparents to most of the cultivated European roses; genetic tests detecting Gallica blood in the Albas, Centifolias and Damasks – these groups being among the oldest of the Old Roses.

Origins in the ‘cradle of civilisation’

Known in 19^th Century England as ‘Provins’ or ‘French’ roses – the Latin word ‘gallica’ translated means ‘French’ – the Gallica Rose was once believed to have originated in Roman Gaul, or Gallica, the old name for France. It’s now known to have been more widespread with wild specimens found in Italy, Switzerland and Austria and its earliest roots traced back to the ‘cradle of civilisation’; Mesopotamia. The Romans and Greeks are thought to have grown the Gallica Rose along with the Damask and the Alba.

In the Middle Ages, R. gallica officinalis , one of the Gallica Roses illustrated by Redouté, became the mainstay of a thriving industry among early pharmacists, earning it the common name of ‘Apothecary’s Rose’. Studies of the chemical constituents within the petals of this rose reveals that it contains large amounts of strongly astringent substances known as monosaccharide esters of gallic acid. The petals and the essential oil extracts were added to all manner of potions in reverence of the rose’s healing powers.

Sub-soil rulers

Habit-wise, the typical Gallica rose is an upright compact bush that spreads into an extensive thicket by means of suckering. If space is an issue, they are best obtained as budded plants and planted with the bud-union a little above ground so they don’t get a chance to sucker. Waist-high canes rise from the thicket clothed in slightly crinkled, matt green leaves. The blooms, often with the classic ‘quartered’ form, are borne together in small sprays. Many are deliciously fragrant. Colour-wise they span the spectrum from soft pinks to rich maroons and purples and they have a tendency to produce varieties with spotted, striped, marbled or variegated blooms. These eccentricities earned them the title of the ‘mad Gallicas’ during the 19^th Century.

Spring or summer flowering regalia

Gallica Roses are once-flowering in the spring or summer, putting on a typically brief but very beautiful show. When they flower depends a lot on the climate – in warmer areas they will tend to bloom latter than in cooler districts. Gallicas are the only tribe of roses that retain their perfume when the petals are dried making them a preferred choice for making potpourri and other rose crafts.

Health-wise they are tough, disease-resistant and cold hardy. Some may get a touch of the mildew late in the growing season. Since the flowering has finished they can be cut back and will put their energy into making new growth before the winter.

Redouté illustrated many Gallica Roses in Les Roses and one in Choix.  Some no longer appear to be in cultivation, including a fair few from a group known as the Agathe Roses.
The Agathe Roses can be grouped as a class of their own, but I’m including them here since they are relatively unknown these days and are often classified botanically as Gallicas.