Gallica Roses

Gallica Roses are an ancient group comprising short compact shrubs with bristly stems and excellent foliage. The flowers range in colour from pink through to the darkest maroon and can be single or most often double. They are prized for their wonderful scent as well as their medicinal properties.

Important Gallicas include the Apothecary’s Rose, also known as Officinalis, which can be traced back to Medieval times and is known as The Red Rose of Lancaster. Rosa Mundi, or Rosa gallica ‘Versicolor’ is a classic old rose often seen in Tudor styled gardens, it is a mutation of Officinalis which has distinctive white splashing and striping to the petals.
Planting and Pruning Guide: Gallicas require little pruning, apart from the removal of old spent wood once established (after flowering) and shaping as required. One habit of Gallica roses includes natural suckering, where creeping roots form new stems far away from the mother plant to produce a thicket. If this is not required, it can be easily controlled by keeping the graft union at or just above soil level.