|

Introducing ‘Comte de Chambord’ Rose

6 Comments

‘Comte de Chambord’ (1858)

There are times when I wish these pictures on my blog were like those “scratch and sniff” stickers from when we were kids–remember those? This rose has the most heavenly scent, and so strong, I wish you could smell it. ‘Comte de Chambord’, a Damask/Portland Hybrid Perpetual bred around 1858, is a much beloved Old Garden Rose and is also one of the parents of the David Austin creation: ‘Gertrude Jekyll‘.

Hybrid perpetuals are types of roses that were very popular in the mid to late 1800’s. They are highly scented, large-flowered, in shades of pink and red with scattered repeat bloom. Comte de Chambord has the classic pink blossoms which “sit” within the foliage typical of a Portland rose. Although new to me this season, I have noticed that she has shown very good disease resistance (in spite of reports that it is susceptible to black spot which I have not seen), EDIT: I’m seeing it now! Eep! which for me is the first thing I look for in a rose. Also, this is a rose that does not like heat! She tried to bloom several times over the past few weeks but our high temps kept killing off the buds. Since the weather cooled slightly and we have been blessed with rain, it has opened up, although the blossom is still on the small side and the petals loosened up quickly. Not particularly a rampant grower, I’ve read that she is slow to get going but once established is a real knockout. Comte de Chambord is quite thorny, but that’s something I actually appreciate in a rose. Blooming on new wood, prune early to promote flowering.

EDIT:  There seems to be some confusion between ‘Comte de Chambord’ and the Hybrid Perpetual, ‘Madame Boll’.  According to HMF, in commerce ‘Comte de Chambord’ is often sold as ‘Madame Boll’.  I can’t remember where I purchased my ‘Comte de Chambord’ to help me determine what I am actually growing (and it’s taught me a lesson to now always keep track of where I purchase any of my roses) and I don’t grow ‘Madame Boll’ so I have nothing to compare it to. So for now I will just continue believing that this is ‘Comte de Chambord’ until proven otherwise. (Do you grow either? Can you offer any insight into this?)

Similar Posts

6 Comments

    1. Thanks! Next year I’m going to take some cuttings of this rose and if I can get them to grow I’ll give you one!

  2. This is one rose that does not like living in my garden. After four years in a prime location, it refuses to get more than 2 feet tall and it’s leafless for most of the year. This fall, I will dig it up and replace it with a rose that likes my yard better. It’s hard for me to admit this, since I love Hybrid Perpetuals and Portlands so much. Not every rose is good in every garden, so sometimes difficult decisions must be made.

    1. Hi Connie, thank you for your comment! That’s really interesting about your Comte de Chambord. I’ve had similar experiences with so many of my roses that are supposed to be hardy and robust but in my garden just poop out. (Case in point: Iceberg floribunda; never could get it to thrive). Boy you said it–sometimes difficult decisions have to be made!

  3. Beautiful rose. I love the Hybrid Perpetuals. For fragrance, they can’t be beat. I have “Reine Des Violettes” that has taken about 4 years to become comfortable in my garden. Just this year it has put out some decent canes and blooms. This Comte de Chambord has such a nice color.

Comments are closed.