Cabbage Rose
Rosa × centifolia
📖 About this plant
The Cabbage Rose (also called the Provence Rose) is a heritage rose celebrated for its enormous, globular blooms packed with over 100 delicately scented petals that form a distinctive ‘cabbage-like’ shape. Its exquisite fragrance made it the cornerstone of the French perfume industry for centuries. The flowers range from soft pink to deep rose-pink and are superb for potpourri, rose water, and floral arrangements.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun (6+ hrs)
Every 2-3 days
Moderate (40-60%)
10-28°C
Rich, well-draining loamy soil (pH 6.0-6.5); amended with compost and well-rotted manure; heavy clay soils should be improved with organic matter and sand
Balanced rose fertilizer (10-10-10) every 4-6 weeks during growing season; supplement with bone meal at planting and alfalfa meal mid-season for bloom production
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Cultivated hybrid originating from Rosa damascena and Rosa moschata — developed in the Netherlands in the 17th century for the perfume industry in Grasse, France
- 📏 Max height
- 120-180 cm (4-6 ft); very bushy, rounded habit
- 📐 Spread
- 90-150 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Pink
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Gray-Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic — rose petals and rose hips (fruit) are edible and rich in Vitamin C (hips contain 20x more than oranges). Thorns pose a physical puncture hazard. Leaves may cause mild GI upset in pets if ingested in large quantities. Generally considered pet-safe with physical hazard from thorns only.
- 🌱 Propagation
- Softwood cuttings in early summer, hardwood cuttings in autumn, layering in late summer, or grafting/budding onto rootstock (Rosa canina or Dr. Huey)
🛡️ Health & Safety
Non-toxic — rose petals and rose hips (fruit) are edible and rich in Vitamin C (hips contain 20x more than oranges). Thorns pose a physical puncture hazard. Leaves may cause mild GI upset in pets if ingested in large quantities. Generally considered pet-safe with physical hazard from thorns only.
Common issues
- Powdery mildew in humid conditions with poor airflow, Black spot fungus in wet seasons, Aphids and thrips on buds and new growth, Japanese beetles devouring flowers, Poor flowering in excessive shade, Leggy growth without adequate pruning
💡 Care tips
- Also known as Provence rose with full globular fragrant blooms,One of the oldest cultivated rose varieties dating back centuries,Petals are used to make rose water potpourri and jams,More shade-tolerant than most modern rose varieties
