CHARLES DE GAULLE® – purple tea-hybrid rose – Meilland
Elegance and perfume define CHARLES DE GAULLE®, a classic hybrid tea bred for refined blooms and a very strong, garden-filling scent. Its high-centred flowers open on an upright, bushy, almost thornless framework, making everyday maintenance and deadheading more comfortable in tight British front gardens. The cool lavender-lilac petals with a silvery sheen are ideal where you want a single rose to provide focus and cut flowers for the house, while remaining compact enough for smaller beds and borders. As an own-root plant, it builds a stable, long-lived bush that can regenerate well after pruning and weather stress, settling securely even where good drainage is needed in heavier soils. In year one it concentrates on roots, in year two it builds shoots, and by year three it reaches full ornamental impact with regular waves of repeat flowering. Use it close to paths, seating areas or windows where the fragrance can be enjoyed daily, and combine with simple perennials for a cottage-style border that still feels ordered and easy to manage for busy gardeners.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden focal point |
The upright, bushy habit and medium height allow CHARLES DE GAULLE® to stand as a single specimen or in a small group by the front door, giving a formal yet welcoming look without overwhelming a modest plot, ideal for the style-conscious beginner. |
| Cutting corner near the house |
The high-centred, exhibition-style blooms and long, straight stems make this variety particularly rewarding as a home cutting rose, so you can take its strongly scented flowers indoors while the plant continues to produce new buds through the season, perfect for fragrance-loving homeowners. |
| Small rose bed with classic structure |
Planted at the recommended spacing, its regular, upright bushes form a neat, easily read pattern that fits traditional rose beds; the dense mid-green foliage provides a tidy backdrop, suiting gardeners who like clear shapes without complex design work. |
| Near seating or terrace |
The very strong, citrusy verbena scent carries well in still evening air, so positioning it close to a bench, patio or back door lets you enjoy the perfume at close quarters, especially in sheltered urban gardens where air movement is limited, appealing to evening garden users. |
| Mixed cottage-style border |
The cool lavender-lilac blooms blend gently with pastel perennials and grasses, adding vertical accents without dominating; its repeat flowering provides colour continuity among more seasonal companions, which suits relaxed cottage borders for busy urban gardeners. |
| Own-root long-term planting |
As an own-root shrub it gradually forms its permanent framework in situ, enabling better recovery from hard pruning or winter damage and extending the plant’s useful lifespan in the garden, reassuring those planning long-lived, low-fuss plantings. |
| Raised bed or improved heavy soil |
This rose appreciates soil that drains reasonably well; planting in a raised bed or thoroughly improved border helps manage wetter, heavier conditions, supporting steadier growth and flowering even where rain and wind exposure are part of everyday British weather. |
| Large decorative container |
In a container of at least 40–50 litres with quality compost and steady watering, its compact footprint and upright habit create an elegant potted specimen for patios or balconies, and being own-root helps it adapt and remain stable over many seasons. |
Styling ideas
- COTTAGE MIX – Combine with airy baby’s breath and soft pink perennials for a relaxed, pastel border that still has a clear focal rose – ideal for lovers of informal cottage gardens.
- FORMAL PAIR – Plant two either side of a path or entrance for a symmetrical, scented welcome – suited to homeowners who like classic structure without intricate design work.
- SCENTED CORNER – Place one near a bench with low-growing lavender-toned companions to enhance the perfume and colour harmony – perfect for those who linger outdoors in the evenings.
- PATIO STATEMENT – Grow it alone in a 50-litre terracotta pot with simple underplanting of trailing thyme to keep focus on the blooms – aimed at balcony and terrace gardeners with limited space.
- ROSE BORDER – Group three plants in a small bed, edged with neat evergreen box or low grasses, to create a structured yet low-input feature – for beginners seeking an easy, orderly rose display.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as MEIlanein, marketed as Charles de Gaulle® PERFUMELLA® MEIlanein; exhibition category hybrid tea for garden and cutting use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Marie-Louise Meilland, Meilland International, France, from complex hybrid tea parentage; breeding completed 1974, registered 1976 and introduced after 1976. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly decorated fragrance rose, with multiple perfume and certificate prizes in Monza, Rome, Madrid, Geneva and Belfast trials during the mid to late 1970s. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy hybrid tea, around 80–110 cm tall and 50–70 cm wide, densely foliated with slightly glossy mid-green leaves and relatively few thorns on the stems. |
| Flower morphology |
Remontant, double blooms with 26–39 petals, medium-sized, solitary, high-centred, pointed buds of classic cut-rose form, repeating in generous flushes through the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Cool lavender-lilac with silvery tones; colour shifts from purplish-mauve to pastel lavender-grey, retaining richer tones in cooler conditions and fading more in strong heat and sun. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, garden-filling scent with a sweet character and distinct citrusy verbena notes, bred specifically for perfume quality and best appreciated near paths and seating. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally sparse due to double flowers; occasional small egg-shaped hips, 11–15 mm across, in a clear orange-red shade, with limited ornamental presence in most gardens. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately -15 to -12 °C (RHS H6, USDA 7b); disease sensitivity moderate to high, with particular rust susceptibility, so regular monitoring and treatment are needed. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny sites with well-drained soil, planted 50–90 cm apart depending on use; needs regular watering, feeding, deadheading and disease control for best display and longevity. |
CHARLES DE GAULLE® offers richly scented lavender blooms, elegant upright form and the long-term stability of an own-root hybrid tea, making it a thoughtful choice if you enjoy tending and shaping a characterful garden rose.
