In Love with ‘Georges Vibert’ Gallica Rose

In our container rose garden, I’m testing many new-to-me varieties of roses. Most of them are very young, but once they flower, I like to share what I’ve learned about them here. One particular rose, a Gallica by the name of  ‘Georges Vibert’ has really impressed me and it hasn’t even bloomed yet! I’ve debated on waiting until he does before I share this rose, but as many of us are making our wish lists for next year, I thought, why wait? I figured Georges could use a little share of the limelight; he’s worth it.

Left: ‘George Vibert’ in bloom. Photo Courtesy of Vintage Gardens.

“Banded” roses waiting for planting. Although measuring just a few inches tall, this is the size I like to purchase my roses. They’re grown on their own roots, which in my very humble opinion is the best way to grow roses. ‘Georges Vibert’ was purchased and planted as a banded rose late last spring.

Georges Vibert is in the Gallica class of roses and was introduced in 1853. It was named for the grandson of rose breeder Jean-Pierre Vibert. As you can see from the picture at the top of this post, the flowers are full and lush, striped dark pink and white and I’ve read it also has a strong scent. Gallicas are hardy, thickly foliated, smallish in scale, typically flowering in ranges of pinks to deep wines, and if grown on their own root will sucker freely (which might be great if you’re looking for a hedge.) Gallicas have been around for a long time and is one of my favorite class of roses. Probably one of the most famous Gallicas is Rosa officinalis, or ‘Apothecary’s Rose’, the “Red Rose of Lancaster” of the War of the Roses or it’s sport ‘Rosa Mundi,’ sometimes referred to as, ‘Fair Rosamund’ after Henry II’s mistress. My Georges Vibert is demonstrating all of the best qualities of a Gallica: incredibly hardy and robust it’s shrugged off the black spot, powdery mildew, spider mite, Japanese beetle, and sawfly larvae that have plagued some of my other roses this season. As a matter of fact, if you take a look at the picture directly above, this is how big Georges was when he arrived not even 3 months ago. A teeny-tiny “banded” rose, he was first transplanted into a 1 gallon pot, and more recently into an approximately 7 gallon container my husband built specifically for him to keep up with the phenomenal growth. (The only other rose in our container garden to rival this sort of growth rate would have to be Arcata Pink Globe, but more on that later.) To say ‘Georges Vibert’ is thriving is an understatement!

I haven’t seen any blooms yet {EDIT: Georges bloomed beautifully last spring!} on Georges Vibert because Gallicas are once-bloomers, usually in early summer with possible sporadic bloom later in the year. I imagine (I hope) that my Georges Vibert will put on quite a show next year since it’s filling out quite nicely. To promote flowering, I haven’t pruned it at all, as this rose will bloom on the previous year’s growth.

This picture was taken yesterday. Can you believe how big this rose has gotten in just a few short months?

New growth is a pretty soft green. The leaves of this rose appear “folded” and angle downwards especially with the newer leaves. They open up and flatten out as they mature. 

Dense, but not particularly large thorns cover the canes. This picture shows a new cane. As they mature, thorns leave behind a reddish-green, mottled appearance on the canes. 

‘Georges Vibert’  has thick growth (suckering freely) and might make a great hedge.

I wish I had pictures to share with you of Georges Vibert in bloom and more growing tips, but this rose is still so new to me. Hopefully next June you’ll have another report with lots of pretty photos. In the meantime, if you’d like more information and some Georges Vibert eye candy, click HERE. I just love Gallica roses so much, I’m already compiling a list of more I’d like to add to the garden. What roses are on your wish list for next spring?