Rich, velvety deep violet with a delicate slate-grey shading. - historic, portland rose - strongly scented, far-carrying rose - scent description not available
– Rich, velvety violet blooms with slate-grey shading
– Strong, far‑carrying traditional rose fragrance
– Reliable remontant flowering with generous repeats
– Dense, upright shrub ideal for beds and hedges
– Excellent disease resistance and very hardy (H7)
– Special feature: Historic 1840s Portland rose, valued for its rare deep violet colour and classic charm.
Expert background – Shapes and contours
pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL 2-litre own-root potted rose
22,90 £
Unfortunately, we are currently unable to ship to the United Kingdom; we only deliver to countries within the European Union. For more information, please contact us!
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INDIGO – violet historic Portland rose - Laffay
This deeply coloured historic Portland rose gives your garden a touch of period character without demanding constant attention. Its dense, upright habit forms a tidy shrub that fits beautifully into classic British front gardens, even where cool winds and rainfall regularly sweep through. Lush, mid‑green foliage sets off the rich, velvety violet blooms, whose fragrance carries on still evenings and recalls traditional cottage planting. Reliable repeat flowering from summer onwards offers a long display, while naturally high disease resistance keeps routine care simple. As an own‑root plant, it settles in steadily and then builds a long‑lived, balanced shrub, so you see roots establishing first, then stronger shoots, and by the third year full ornamental impact. Plant once, then enjoy the unfolding history in your family garden.
Closed bud of Indigo, with dark violet outer petals.
Closed bud of Indigo, showing dark violet outer petals with a velvety matte finish.
Usage options
Target area
Reasoning
Front garden focal shrub
The upright, compact shrub shape and dense foliage create a neat, architectural presence that suits smaller front gardens, giving height without overpowering the space and working well in simple layouts – ideal for the style‑conscious householder
Classic cottage-style border
Strong violet blooms with a soft slate‑grey shading bring romantic depth to mixed cottage borders, pairing well with soft grasses and pastels while complementing traditional brick or stone, with minimal fuss – perfect for the cottage‑inspired gardener
Small bed with repeat colour
Remontant flowering with a generous second flush keeps the bed colourful through the season, reducing the need for complex succession planting in compact spaces and suiting straightforward, low‑maintenance schemes – reassuring for the time‑pressed beginner
Near seating or path edges
The strongly scented, far‑carrying blooms reward you whenever you pass, or when windows are open on still evenings, giving a traditional rose experience without specialist care or elaborate pruning – a pleasure for fragrance‑loving owners
Low-intervention rose border
Good resistance to black spot, mildew and rust keeps foliage attractive in humid summers, with less spraying or remedial work, so beds stay tidy even in changeable British weather with frequent rain and wind – practical for the busy gardener
Partial-shade side garden
Suitable for partial shade, this cultivar copes well in those between-house or fence-side strips where sunlight is limited, retaining colour and shape without elaborate soil improvement or expert techniques – helpful for urban‑plot keepers
Feature planting as a specimen
Planted as a solitary shrub with generous spacing, it develops into a balanced, long‑lived own‑root bush that can be refreshed by pruning over many years without losing vigour or reverting, giving lasting structure – rewarding for long‑term‑thinking homeowners
Informal flowering hedge
At recommended spacings, its upright habit and repeat violet blooms create an informal, gently perfumed divider along drives or boundaries, softening hard lines while remaining easy to maintain and lightly clip – appealing to low‑maintenance‑minded families
Styling ideas
Heritage-frontage – Line a short front path with two or three shrubs underplanted with low evergreen euonymus for year-round structure – suited to period terrace and cottage entrances.
Cottage-drift – Mix with Scabiosa columbaria and pale foxgloves in a loose drift for a soft, romantic border that flowers over a long season – ideal for informal, flower-rich gardens.
Violet-focus – Use a single plant in a 50–60 litre container by a bench or doorway where the scent and colour can be appreciated up close – perfect for small patios and city courtyards.
Structured-hedge – Create a low, gently wavy hedge along a drive, interspersing plants with airy grasses like Stipa tenuissima to keep the look light yet orderly – good for family homes needing soft boundaries.
Once-planted – Place a trio in a small bed against a fence, mulch well and keep watered in dry spells for a quietly reliable, long-lived violet accent – best for those seeking impact without complex design.
Technical cultivar profile
Parameter
Data
Name and registration
Historical Portland shrub rose marketed as Indigo, a verified heritage cultivar from the Laffay collection; unregistered but authenticated for garden use and supplied as an own-root plant.
Origin and breeding
Raised in France by Jean Laffay and introduced in 1844, with parentage unknown; a classic mid-nineteenth-century Portland rose reflecting traditional European breeding.
Growth and structural characteristics
Upright, bushy shrub 100–150 cm tall and 80–120 cm wide, with dense, mid-green, slightly glossy foliage and moderate thorns; forms a well-filled, balanced bush over time.
Flower morphology
Medium-sized, double, flat blooms produced in clusters, with approximately 26–39 petals; remontant, giving an initial main display followed by a generous second flowering period.
Colour data and phenology
Rich deep violet flowers with slate-grey shading; colour deepens in cool conditions and lightens in strong sun, fading towards lilac-grey with gently paling, slightly brown-tinted petal edges.
Fragrance and aroma
Strongly scented with a far-carrying traditional rose perfume; fragrance character data are incomplete, but intensity is sufficient to notice at a distance in calm weather.
Hip characteristics
Produces few hips; occasional small, spherical fruits 10–15 mm across, orange-red when ripe, offering modest seasonal interest without significantly affecting flowering performance.
Resistance and winter hardiness
Hardy to approximately −32 to −29 °C (RHS H7, USDA 4b, Swedish Zone 5) with good resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, and moderate tolerance of heat and drought.
Horticultural recommendations
Best in beds, borders or as specimen shrubs; space 90–180 cm depending on use, provide regular watering in prolonged drought, and deadhead to encourage repeat flowering and neatness.
INDIGO combines rich violet blooms, strong scent and dependable disease resistance in an own-root form that matures into a long-lived shrub, making it a thoughtful choice if you want a quietly reliable heritage rose.
Detailed product attributes
Product Identification Data
Product Name:
INDIGO – violet historic Portland rose - Laffay
Product Type:
pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL - 2-litre own-root potted rose
Pollinator Attraction:
The very double flower form and reduced accessibility of the stamens mean it attracts pollinators poorly.
Pollinator-Friendly Rating:
Its double flowers partially cover the stamens, so it attracts pollinators poorly; pollinator-friendliness is limited, primarily an ornamental cultivar.
Our product is a rose grown with pharmaROSA®’s unique cultivation technology!
2-litre, own-root, potted rose.
With a shoot system appropriate to the season.
With a root system that thoroughly permeates the growing medium.
Quality compliant with the requirements of the E.N.A. (European Nurserystock Association).
Supplied in unique packaging that prevents damage.
Can be planted during frost-free periods.
True-to-variety rose bush with a unique identifier.
The pharmaROSA® own-root potted rose is a well-rooted plant that supports reliable establishment when planted and cared for properly, so it can be planted whenever the soil is not frozen.
Crop overview: several varieties and growth stages in a short crop section.Shoot system: intensive growth of fresh basal shoots on a young plant.Root system: demonstration of a vigorous root system permeating the growing medium, by removing the pot.Balance: mature plant with root system and shoots in harmony with each other.
Information about the videos
The video series is not a “seasonal showcase”; it illustrates the essence of pharmaROSA® own-root cultivation in a tangible way: how the plant is built up, what the root system is like and how the shoot system regenerates. The recordings were therefore made at different times and with plants at various stages of development, so mixed foliage levels and differing stages of growth may appear in the videos. They are not a ‘sample’ of the batch dispatched, but a visual explanation of how the technology works. The current condition of the rose available to order — typical for the given period and similar to what you can expect to receive in the parcel — is shown in the upper part of the product page.
Pages for private customers Garden roses for the family garden, with minimal care → ORIGINAL® Premium garden roses – instant impact, a truly showpiece garden → EXTRA® Pages for professionals and private customers Roses for public spaces – large areas, sustainable maintenance → NATURAL® Roses for projects – hedge and row planting, fast implementation → RAPID® For professional partners only Production – propagation material for garden roses, wholesale → NEONATAL®
Company details
PharmaRosa Ltd. Company registration number: 01-09-717479 VAT number: 13075314-2-43 Plant health registration no.: HU130721 Bank account (IBAN): HU85117631891388688400000000 BIC (SWIFT): OTPVHUHB Bank name: OTP Bank Nyrt.
