ALSACE – red landscape shrub rose - Pekmez
Imagine a soft Irish drizzle, ruby-red blooms glowing against dark foliage, and bees quietly at work – Alsace is a relaxed, low-fuss rose made for everyday gardens. Its single, open flowers invite pollinators, while their natural self-cleaning habit keeps beds looking neat with minimal input. In typical Irish conditions – with frequent showers and the need to think about drainage and air circulation – this own-root shrub settles in steadily, building roots, then shoots, and by the third year offering its full display. The long, repeat-flowering season brings a cheerful, raspberry-red colour note to cottage borders and city front gardens, adding an easy-going, slightly wild charm to your everyday walkway.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Cottage-style flower bed near a path |
Alsace flowers repeatedly through the season with bright, ruby-red single blooms that echo traditional cottage planting. Its bushy, medium height fills gaps without blocking views, suiting narrow paths and small beds where you want colour over many months – perfect for the relaxed cottage-garden homeowner. |
| Low informal hedge along a front boundary |
The dense foliage and 85–115 cm height make a soft, informal hedge that still feels friendly to the street. Recommended 55 cm spacing knits plants together into a continuous line of colour, while own-root plants regenerate from the base if pruned harder – ideal for a boundary that stays presentable for the busy gardener. |
| Pollinator strip in a family garden |
With single, open flowers and readily accessible stamens, Alsace offers easy forage for bees and hoverflies all summer. Plant in a sunny strip with simple perennials such as scabious and salvia to create a long, nectar-rich run beside lawns or play areas, supporting wildlife for the nature-minded family. |
| Low-maintenance mass planting in a front garden |
Clustered flowers and repeat blooming give a coherent block of colour when planted at 2.4–2.7 plants/m². Once established, the shrub’s good self-cleaning habit reduces deadheading needs, keeping larger groups tidy with less day-to-day work – reassuring for the time-poor urban resident. |
| Feature shrub in a small mixed border |
Alsace’s bushy habit and dark, slightly glossy foliage create a solid green backdrop for its red flowers and neighbouring perennials. Own-root shrubs age gracefully, holding their shape for many years and recovering well after pruning, giving long-lived structure in a compact border for the planning-conscious buyer. |
| Clay soil bed with improved drainage |
This rose is happiest in sun with free-draining soil, so on heavier Irish clays it responds well to raised or amended beds with added grit and organic matter. Thoughtful planting reduces stress from persistent wet and helps support healthy growth and flowering over time for the practical gardener. |
| Large container on a sunny terrace |
In a 40–50 litre or larger container, Alsace becomes a compact landscape rose for patios and small city spaces. Own-root plants adapt well to pot culture and can be rejuvenated by periodic pruning, allowing you to keep the shrub balanced and productive for years – convenient for the balcony-focused owner. |
| Family play garden with relaxed, natural feel |
The simple, wild-rose look of the single flowers and the steady repeat flushes create an easy, meadow-like mood beside lawns and play spaces. Place where air moves freely to help in Ireland’s humid summers and enjoy a long season of colour with minimal shaping – ideal for a nature-first family. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-border ribbon – Thread Alsace through a border with foxgloves, hardy geraniums and scabious for a loose cottage look that flowers for months – ideal for romantic, low-fuss gardeners.
- Front-garden welcome – Line a short path or low railings with a single row of Alsace and underplant with lavender for scent and bees – suited to Dublin terraces seeking easy charm.
- Wildlife-friendly strip – Combine Alsace with meadow sage and small scabious in a sunny band to create a red-and-violet pollinator corridor – perfect for families encouraging children to notice bees.
- Container focus – Grow one Alsace in a 50 litre tub with trailing thyme and violas to soften the edge, giving long-flowering impact by the front door – good for renters and balcony spaces.
- Relaxed hedge mix – Alternate Alsace with softer pink shrub roses or ornamental grasses to form a gently shifting, semi-transparent hedge – attractive for those who dislike rigid, formal lines.
Technical cultivar profile
| Attribute |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Modern landscape shrub rose, registered as PEKtarampe, traded as Alsace (NIRPAYSAGE collection), approved exhibition name Alsace; part of the Rósra bhláthchlóis commercial group for decorative planting. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Paul Pekmez for NIRP International in France; registered in 1992 with parentage unknown, selected for landscape use and continuous ornamental presence in public and private planting schemes. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy shrub reaching about 85–115 cm in height and spread, with dense, dark green, slightly glossy foliage and moderate prickliness; naturally rounded habit suits hedging, edging and grouped planting. |
| Flower morphology |
Small, single, cup-shaped flowers 1–4 cm across, usually in clusters; 5–12 petals with good remontancy, providing an abundant second flush and continuous spot colour through much of the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Pure ruby red blooms with scarlet buds deepening to purplish tips; colour mellows through medium-deep red to warm raspberry shades, with very good colour retention and a lively glow in sunlight. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Fragrance is very weak and only barely noticeable, with a light floral character; grown primarily for its colour effect and landscape value rather than scent-driven garden experiences or cut-flower use. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips are sparse and generally small, spherical, around 8–12 mm across; when present they colour red, but overall display is modest and not a major ornamental feature of the cultivar. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to around −21 to −18 °C (H7, USDA 6b, Swedish Zone 3); disease susceptibility is high, especially to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, requiring regular protection and good siting. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with well-drained soil; space at 65 cm for beds, 55 cm for hedges, 100 cm as specimens. Maintain even moisture, use mulch, and apply preventative fungicide where disease pressure is high. |
ALSACE offers long-season ruby-red colour, pollinator-friendly single blooms and dependable own-root resilience, making it a thoughtful choice for Irish gardeners seeking quiet, lasting impact.
