Deep, velvety dark‑purple petals with a vivid white eye in the centre. - flowerbed, shrub rose - powerful, distinctive scented rose - spicy, clove-scented
– Striking black‑purple blooms with white centres.
– Powerful, spicy clove fragrance.
– Long flowering season with abundant repeats.
– Dense, bushy habit for bold bedding displays.
– Good disease resistance and winter hardiness.
– Special feature: Awarded Best Modern Shrub Exhibit (Santa Fe, 2002).
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!
4.5(6302)
ROUTE 66™ – purple bedding shrub rose - Carruth
Effortless to live with yet striking in colour, ROUTE 66™ settles quickly into family gardens, forming a bushy, medium-height shrub that gives season-long flowers with remarkably reliable repeat flushes. Its velvety dark-purple blooms with a bright white eye create a dramatic focal point even in small front gardens, while the dense, glossy foliage keeps borders looking tidy between flushes. Self-cleaning flowers save you time, as most faded blooms drop away on their own, keeping beds fresh with minimal maintenance. As an own-root rose it builds strength and balance year by year, supporting a long-lived, stable shrub that copes well even where heavy soil needs careful drainage; roots first, then shoots, and by the third year a full, impressive display you can rely on.
Route 66™ in full bloom, showing its deep purple flowers with a white centre.
Route 66™ with velvety dark-purple petals and a contrasting white eye.
Route 66™ in the late flowering phase, with softened purple petals and a creamy centre.
Usage options
Target area
Reasoning
Front-garden feature shrub
Ideal where you want a single, eye-catching shrub that works hard without fuss: ROUTE 66™ builds a medium-height, bushy plant with dense foliage and strong own-root structure, giving long-term presence with little intervention for style-conscious beginners.
Low-maintenance flowerbed blocks
Its good self-cleaning habit and low pruning needs make it perfect for simple rectangular beds or driveway strips, where regular deadheading and shaping are not realistic but a consistently neat, flowering surface is still expected by busy home gardeners.
Cottage-style mixed border groups
Plant in small groups of three to five among perennials for cottage charm: the rich purple and white-eyed blooms repeat reliably, weaving colour through summer without dominating, suiting relaxed, decorative borders for informal family gardeners.
Long-lived structure in family gardens
As an own-root shrub it develops its final shape in place, regenerating from the base after pruning and giving a durable, balanced framework that stands up well over many seasons, reassuring planners of long-term value for practical homeowners.
Informal flowering hedge or row
Regular spacing at about 55–65 cm creates a loose, flowering line with enough height for gentle screening; the bushy habit and glossy foliage fill in well over time, giving a soft division between garden areas for privacy-minded households.
Urban and small-plot planting
Compact spread and upright, bushy growth suit tighter plots, while robust disease resistance reduces the need for spraying where time and space are limited, offering stress-free seasonal colour for time-poor, space-conscious town gardeners.
Seasonal colour with minimal care on heavy soils
Where clay or heavier ground is a concern, own-root stability and moderate vigour combine with simple preparation (raised or well-drained beds) to establish a secure shrub that flowers reliably despite challenging soil for cautious new gardeners.
Statement plant in large containers
In a 40–50 litre or larger pot, ROUTE 66™ becomes a striking patio or doorstep feature, its intense purple blooms and spicy clove fragrance delivering a long run of interest, while straightforward watering and light pruning suit container-focused beginners.
Styling ideas
COTTAGE RIBBON – weave small groups through a border with Coreopsis and dwarf asters to create a soft, purple-and-gold cottage ribbon along a path – ideal for relaxed, flower-loving families.
URBAN FOCUS – use a single shrub in a smart, large pot by the front door so the bold blooms and fragrance greet visitors – suited to busy city homeowners wanting instant impact.
DRIVEWAY DRIFT – plant a staggered row along a drive, letting the bushy habit form a gentle, flowering edge – good for households seeking easy structure without formal hedging.
EVENING GLOW – set against pale gravel or light paving so the dark flowers and white eye stand out in low light – perfect for those who enjoy their garden after work.
PURPLE BORDER – combine with evergreen St John’s-wort and dark-leaved shrubs to echo its rich colour and glossy foliage – attractive to gardeners building a coordinated, colour-themed bed.
Technical cultivar profile
Parameter
Data
Name and registration
Modern shrub, bed rose type; registered as WEKmorfis, marketed as Route 66™ Bedding rose WEKmorfis, with American Rose Society exhibition name Route 66, premium silver cultivar authenticity verified.
Origin and breeding
Bred by Tom Carruth (Weeks Roses, USA) from complex purple and miniature lines; bred 2001, registered 2002, introduced 2003, combining strong colour effects with practical garden performance.
Awards and recognition
Santa Fe Rose Society Show Best Modern Shrub Exhibit (2002), indicating strong ornamental value and presentation quality in the modern shrub category for enthusiast and display gardens.
Growth and structural characteristics
Bushy shrub 100–140 cm high and 75–110 cm wide with dense, glossy dark green foliage, moderate prickles and good self-cleaning, forming a rounded, substantial presence in beds and borders over time.
Flower morphology
Single to semi-double, flat, medium-sized clustered blooms with about 5–12 petals; remontant with abundant second flush, delivering repeated colour from early season through to late flowering periods.
Colour data and phenology
Deep velvety dark-purple petals, RHS 187A outer with brilliant white to creamy eye (RHS 155D) that enlarges as flowers open, revealing golden stamens; colour lightens gradually to pink-lilac before petals shed.
Fragrance and aroma
Distinctive, powerful fragrance with pronounced spicy, clove-like character; scent noticeable on warm still days around the shrub, adding sensory richness near seating areas or entrance routes.
Hip characteristics
Limited hip set expected; small spherical orange-red hips around 7–9 mm may develop, but ornamental effect is usually secondary to the repeat flowering habit and vivid petal and eye contrast.
Resistance and winter hardiness
Hardy to about –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7, Swedish zone 3, USDA 6b); good powdery mildew and rust resistance, moderate black spot resistance, supporting reliable foliage in typical UK garden conditions.
Horticultural recommendations
Best in full sun with well-drained soil; plant 65 cm apart for bedding, 55 cm for informal hedging, 100 cm as specimen; low pruning and watering needs suit gardeners seeking straightforward upkeep.
ROUTE 66™ offers rich purple-white blooms, low-maintenance self-cleaning performance and durable, own-root structure for long-term garden value, making it a thoughtful choice if you want dependable colour with modest care.
Closed Bud:
Dark purple with a surface that leans almost towards black.
Newly Opened Flower:
Velvety black-purple petals with a contrasting snow-white centre.
Full Bloom:
The purple tone lightens slightly, the white eye expands, and the golden-yellow stamens are prominently visible.
Before Fading:
The purple shade softens to a more muted pink-lilac and the white centre turns creamy.
Colour Fading Description:
During opening, the dark black‑purple tone moderately lightens to a rosy‑purple and the white eye enlarges and turns creamy.
Pollinator Attraction:
Only weakly attractive to pollinators, especially when the flowers are semi-double or fully double and the stamens are partially or fully concealed, which reduces insect access.
Pollinator-Friendly Rating:
Single-flowered; only limitedly attractive to pollinators, so its pollinator-friendliness is low.
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.
