Rosa Gigantea

Rosa Gigantea

Wild species

Native to Southeast India, Burma and Southern China Rosa Gigantea is probably the biggest climbing rose in the world. Easily reaching 60 to 80 ft or more than 20 meter. Only Kiftsgate does better, maybe...

As a tree climber (with a trunk as big as 50 cm or 1,5 ft) it grows into the tree tops in tropical regions. She blooms non stop with the largest single flowers in the rose empire, 15 cm or more than 6 inch. She shows her golden stamen and has a strong clove honeysuckle fragrance. Her hips are round and bright red and hanging on the plant together with the blooms. Extremely healthy. No blackspot, no mildew, no nothing

As I said earlier: Tropical to warm regions. This means zone 8b and higher. It also means that she can't survive winters in most parts of the USA, Europe and Asia. Florida, Southern California, Louisiana, the Balearen in Spain and Sicilië are the regions with the best chance to see her in full glory.

Because she's so beautiful and healthy she's been used in breeding programs in the 19th and 20th century but it is in the 21th century that breeders began crossing with her with great success. Most offspring has good hardiness 7b and higher. Yes, Rosa Gigantea was of great importance to us because she's one of the parents who gave us the Teas, the Tea Noisettes, the Bourbons, Hybrid Perpetuals and of course our current Hybrid Teas and floribundas.

Girija Viraraghavan is one of the breeders who's specialized in crossing with Gigantea.