Polyantha

Typically small, sturdy, low maintenance plants with romantic clusters of dainty flowers. Delightful in cottage gardens, as patio roses or carpet roses.


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Polyantha : Anna Maria de MontravelAnna Maria de Montravel (1879)

Darling little bush polyantha, of China ancestry, with a nonstop display of cute cupped pure white bunches. Unusual and delightful fragrance. Lovely for the front of the border or a pot. available now

Baby Faurax (1924)

Really cute bush and clusters of old fashioned purple flowers pretty much all year round. Bristles rather than prickles make this a manageable and rewarding member of the garden. available now

Polyantha : Cecille BrunnerCecile Brunner (1881)

Technically a China, but fits in well with the Polyanthas too. Lovely little soft pink rose buds all season long on a twiggy very healthy bush. Known as “The Sweetheart Rose”. Also have white (actually lemon) and the climbing form. available now

Eblouissant (1918)

Small bush with clusters of tiny red flowers. Late to start, but carries on well into Autumn. We think it came to Trevor Griffiths via Sangerhausen. Good for the smaller garden. Available now

The Fairy (1932)

A classic polyantha that we are all familiar with. Still as good as ever. We also have the red form.   Available now

Gentle Maid

Miniature polyantha. Cute, tidy little bush of pink rosettes. available now

Jenny Wren

Sweet polyantha bush, although really more reminiscent of a china/tea rose. Flowers perfect in the bud, open loose. not available this season

Kersbergen (1927)

Tidy medium bush with trusses of small, dark red flowers that repeats constantly. Very good for posies. available now

Polyantha : Mrs R M FinchMrs R M Finch (1923)

An Australian bred rose, this a cute little 2 ft shrub with lovely light pink flowers, quite big for its size. Very healthy and floriforous.   available now

Marie Parvie (1888)

This is a lovely shrubby little bush, tidy in growth and habit. Lovely full pale  pink fading to white blooms with sweet fragrance. available now

Marie’s Rose

Locally bred rose, a real gem amongst the Polyanthas. Very double pink flowers with a great perfume. Available now

Miss Edith Cavell (1914)

Another sport of The Orleans Rose (“Sporty Polyantha”) this one is a dark red form with the full little flowers of Coral Cluster. As hardy and floriferous as her “sisters”  available now

Pink ProsperityPink Prosperity

I think there are 2 different roses known by this name, or else it is mislabelled in NZ (quite a common occurrence world wide) as in England it is listed as a hybrid musk sport of Prosperity, whilst the rose we grow as Pink Prosperity definitely has more polyantha characteristics. Whatever it is it’s a very attractive rose with large bunches of relatively large and many petalled flowers in pink shading to blush. Very easy like all the polyanthas. available now

Perle d’Or (1875)

Similar to Cecile Brunner but the flowers are soft apricot. Like Cecile Brunner she eventually makes quite a large bush, about 1.5m.available now

Sparkler (1929)

like many of this group, Sparkler is a sport. I think the Polyanthas are possibly the sportiest group of roses there are! This one is a ruby red sport from a rose called Golden Salmon which was in turn a sport from another Polyantha! Like all good Polyanthas this is floriforous and healthy, with lovely bunches of red flowers in a slightly different shade to the others…available now

Spring Song (1954)

Australian bred rose, also known as Bert Mulley, bright pink clusters with a very sweet fragrance. Can grow bigger than this classification usually does…  available now

“Sporty Polyantha”

Hmm this rose is one of those mysteries in life. I grew a cutting of it some years ago, but have no idea where I got it from… At first glance it is similar to The Fairy, but is actually quite different. It has true polyantha leaves and bristles and lovely flat flowers crammed with petals. I have searched all my many books and the internet for what it could be, but it remains a mystery. Interestingly the plant I have also sports like a mad thing producing branches of very different flowers each season. If anyone recognises it I would love to know what it is! Someone helpful has come up with “Coral Cluster” being the culprit and I think they’re right as Coral Cluster is a sport of Orleans Rose, which looks very much like the Sport from mine. Of course mine is both roses simultaneously! so I will continue to call it Sporty Polyantha which is more compact than “Orleans Rose/Coral Cluster”…..…available now

Yvonne Rabier (1910)

This is the best white polyantha rose. It has clusters of creamy white scented flowers that are large for a polyantha. Flowers most of year and is a healthy bush. Sweet scent. available now

Polyantha : Yvonne Rabier