Rose of the month - William Christi (March 2019)

‘William Christie’ is a shrub rose producing perfectly overlapping petals to blend into a magnificent display of rose pink trusses. The rose was bred by Dominique Massad before 2000 by Roseraie Guillot from the French firm of Guillot Massad and is part of their Rosa Generosa collection.

William Christie grows to 1.6m tall x 1.4m wide and can be grown as a bush, vigorous massed shrub border, or as a small pillar rose.

The rose exudes a delicate citrus, myrrh fragrance.

William Christie’s medium pink blooms have more than fifty petals arranged in an old-fashioned rosette form. The colour fades as it ages. The blooms are very double and are usually produced in clusters. Individual blooms are 7.5 -10 centimetres in diameter. The rose provides a succession of flushes throughout the growing season.

The flowers and healthy, disease resistant, matte green foliage make for a great cut flower.

The rose is named after the American born conductor and harpsichordist William Christie (1944 - ) who moved to France in 1970, obtained French citizenship in 1995 and is renowned for his interpretations of French Baroque music.

William Christie is available from Knight’s Roses, Gawler, South Australia.

Text: Les Johnson

Photos: Knight’s Roses, Les Johnson