CENTENNIAL STAR™ – yellow-pink hybrid tea rose – Meilland
Step outside after a shower and you can imagine golden blooms of CENTENNIAL STAR™ catching the soft light, their strong, sweetly spicy fragrance drifting along a Dublin terrace or Irish cottage path. This Romantica® hybrid tea offers generous, remontant flowering, sending up XL, cupped flowers again and again even through a cool Irish summer, while coping reliably with our breezy, rain‑washed conditions and heavier soils that need good drainage. Bushy, dark, glossy foliage frames each stem, giving a lush, “girly” look without fussy maintenance, and the own‑root form means steady renewal and a naturally long‑lived plant. Think of it as a gentle progression – roots settling in the first year, stronger shoots and more buds in the second, and full ornamental impact by year three for effortless front‑garden charm.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Front-of-house feature rose for Irish terrace or driveway |
Use as a welcoming, eye‑catching specimen near your front door, where the tall, cupped golden blooms with pink edging can be appreciated up close on their own stems. Its bushy habit and glossy foliage give tidy structure that suits compact, urban plots and busy homeowners who want impact with minimal fuss for the style‑conscious city gardener who loves a soft, romantic look, beginners. |
| Cut-flower row in a family back garden |
Plant CENTENNIAL STAR™ in a simple row or short hedge to enjoy long‑stemmed, XL flowers for the vase. The strong, sweetly spicy scent holds indoors, and the cup‑shaped blooms open slowly, giving you several days of enjoyment. Medium care needs mean just occasional feeding and deadheading for the home decorator who enjoys bringing fragrant garden roses indoors, hobbyists. |
| Romantic cottage-style mixed border |
Combine this rose with airy cottage perennials to build a relaxed, “girly” border where its golden‑yellow and peach‑pink tones weave through the season. The remontant flowering keeps colour between perennial flushes, while own‑root resilience supports a long‑term planting, ideal for those seeking a soft, nostalgic border effect in everyday family spaces, homeowners. |
| Container planting on patio, terrace or balcony |
Grow in a large 40–50 litre pot with good drainage to enjoy the fragrance and colour right beside your seating area. The dense foliage and upright, bushy habit fill a container attractively, while the medium maintenance level keeps jobs manageable – mainly watering, feeding, and light pruning for the urban dweller wanting a statement rose without complex care, busy-owners. |
| Small rose bed or edging around a lawn |
At 90–130 cm tall with a 70–95 cm spread, this variety forms a generous clump that works well in a dedicated rose bed or as edging along a path. Recommended spacings make it easy to design neat, repeatable plantings that mature steadily over three seasons without losing shape, perfect for those who like clear structure yet a romantic atmosphere, planners. |
| Partially shaded side garden or courtyard |
CENTENNIAL STAR™ tolerates partial shade, so it suits side returns or courtyards that receive sun for only part of the day. In these spots it still produces richly coloured, scented blooms, creating a surprising focal point where many roses would sulk in lower light for the practical gardener making the most of every corner, problem-solvers. |
| Family garden feature resilient in wet, breezy weather |
This rose copes reliably with our rain‑prone, wind‑touched gardens when planted in soil improved for drainage, giving a stable display even in changeable Atlantic weather. Medium disease resistance means you will usually only need occasional checks and light intervention, suiting those who prefer relaxed, non‑technical rose care, low-maintenance-seekers. |
| Subtle wildlife-friendly corner with seasonal hips |
Although its double flowers are only moderately attractive to pollinators, the shrub can still play a role in a wildlife‑minded corner, producing small orange‑red hips that add autumn interest. Blend it with nectar‑rich perennials nearby to complete the habitat for the nature‑oriented gardener who values beauty with a nod to biodiversity, wildlife-lovers. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Romantic Path – Line a front path with CENTENNIAL STAR™ interplanted with lavender and Penstemon ‘Husker Red’ for soft colour and scent – ideal for homeowners wanting a pretty, “girly” welcome home.
- Golden-Glow Patio Pot – Place one rose in a 50 litre terracotta pot with trailing Sedum spurium to spill over the sides – suited to balcony and patio gardeners who like a single, high-impact feature.
- Fragrant-Tea Cut Border – Create a straight row for cutting, underplanting with low grey Santolina for contrast – perfect for those who enjoy filling vases with long-stemmed, perfumed roses.
- Glossy-Green Backdrop – Use the bushy, dark foliage as a backdrop to pastel perennials and ornamental grasses – appealing to gardeners seeking structure that still feels soft and romantic.
- Sunset-Blend Focus – Pair the yellow-pink blooms with apricot and cream roses in a small bed – designed for rose enthusiasts who love subtle colour blends and a long flowering season.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, Romantica collection; registered as MEInerau, marketed as Centennial Star™ Romantica®, exhibition name Centennial Star for cut-flower and show use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Alain A. Meilland, Meilland International SA, France, 1996; parentage (‘Sunblest’ × ‘KORresia’) × ‘MEInarval’; introduced after 1997 via Star® Roses and Plants in the United States. |
| Awards and recognition |
Recognised in rose shows, including a Gold Award from the Portland Rose Society, highlighting its exhibition-quality blooms and strong performance as a hybrid tea cut flower. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, clump-forming shrub reaching about 90–130 cm in height and 70–95 cm spread; moderately thorny, with dense, dark green, glossy foliage creating a full, leafy framework around the upright flowering stems. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, cupped hybrid tea blooms over 10 cm wide, usually borne singly on stems; 26–39 petals with a pronounced, medium-tall flower form and strong remontant character, giving a generous second flush. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm golden-yellow base with pink edging; buds open deep golden with pink tips, then soften to pale yellow and peach-pink tones; ARS colour yb, RHS 14B outer, 12B inner, with moderate colour retention as flowers age. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Notable for its strong, long-lasting perfume, characterised by a sweetly spicy scent typical of romantic hybrid teas; fragrance is most pronounced in still, mild weather and when blooms are fully open. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasionally produces small ellipsoidal hips, around 8–12 mm, in an orange-red shade; hips offer light autumn interest but are not a dominant ornamental feature of this cultivar. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about -21 to -18 °C (H7, USDA 6b, Swedish Zone 3); medium disease resistance to black spot, mildew and rust; prefers regular watering in dry spells and benefits from basic preventative care. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to beds, edging, containers and cutting; plant 55 cm apart for massing, 50 cm for hedging, 90 cm as specimens; roughly 3.2–3.7 plants/m², in fertile, well-drained soil with full sun to partial shade. |
CENTENNIAL STAR™ rewards you with fragrant golden-pink blooms over a long season on a resilient, own-root shrub that settles in for years of easy enjoyment, making it a thoughtful choice for relaxed Irish family gardens.
