MONICA BELLUCCI® – pink-white hybrid tea rose – Meilland
Imagine stepping outside for a short walk after rain, the air softly scented and the garden washed in gentle green light – this is the mood MONICA BELLUCCI® brings to an Irish cottage border or neat city front. Its very strong, far-reaching perfume creates instant theatre, while the extra-large, high-centred blooms deliver true cut-flower luxury from your own door. Long, remontant flowering keeps beds lively from early summer to autumn despite showers and changeable light, and own-root planting offers reassuring longevity and steady regeneration. In typical heavy Irish clay, simple attention to drainage and mulching supports healthy growth, and over time you will notice that the first year builds roots, the second fills out with shoots, and by the third your bush settles into impressive, reliable display.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Feature rose near the front door |
Plant MONICA BELLUCCI® as a single bush by your path or doorstep where its very strong, far-scented perfume can be appreciated on everyday comings and goings, ideal for fragrance-loving beginners and busy homeowners. |
| Cutting patch in a small back garden |
The XL, high-centred blooms with long stems are perfect for vases and special occasions, letting you grow your own exhibition-style cut flowers in even a modest garden, attractive for creative florists. |
| Romantic cottage-garden border |
Its pink-white bicolour flowers and bushy, upright habit slot beautifully among perennials in a “girly” cottage mix, providing structure and repeat colour through the season, well suited to cottage gardeners. |
| Dublin terraced-house front garden |
Compact height and 60–80 cm spread allow planting in narrow front beds, offering a neat yet glamorous focal point that looks cared-for with only moderate maintenance, practical for urban residents. |
| Statement container on patio or balcony |
Grown in a 40–50 litre pot with good drainage, this own-root rose develops steadily and can be repositioned as needed, providing long-lived value and easy access for light pruning, appealing to balcony gardeners. |
| Mixed rose bed with structured background |
Set against evergreen shrubs such as cherry laurel, the large bicolour blooms stand out dramatically, and regular deadheading maintains a refined look over many years, ideal for design-conscious owners. |
| Family garden focal point with simple care |
Moderate disease resistance and medium maintenance demand mean that, with basic feeding, watering and occasional spraying, you enjoy reliable flowering despite frequent rainfall and soft Atlantic breezes, suitable for casual gardeners. |
| Long-term planting for a maturing garden |
As an own-root, premium gold-rated variety, it regrows reliably from the base after hard pruning or winter damage, building a stable, ornamental shrub your family can enjoy for many seasons, reassuring for long-term planners. |
Styling ideas
- COTTAGE RIBBON – weave MONICA BELLUCCI® through a border with foxgloves, campanulas and obedient plant for a loose, storybook edge – for cottage-style romantics.
- CITY WELCOME – pair a single bush with low box or lavender edging at a terraced-house entrance to frame the doorway in scent – for urban door-step hosts.
- TEA-ROOM VASE – dedicate a short row in a sunny bed purely for cutting, mixing with dahlias for abundant summer bouquets – for home florists and entertainers.
- EVENING PERFUME – place a 50 litre container near a seating area so the spicy-sweet fragrance drifts around you on calm evenings – for after-work unwinding.
- SOFT SCREEN – plant a loose line at 50 cm spacing in front of plain fencing, interspersed with white obedient plant, to create a feminine, gently screening hedge – for privacy seekers.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as MEImonkeur; trade name MONICA BELLUCCI® Hybrid tea rose MEImonkeur; ARS exhibition name Monica Bellucci; Rós taehibride commercial group. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Alain Meilland, Meilland International, France; complex parentage including Caroline de Monaco®, Yves Piaget®, Fiorella and Ambassador; bred 2004, introduced and registered in 2010. |
| Awards and recognition |
Gold medal, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2010, recognising garden and exhibition quality; Label Rouge certification in France, confirming consistent high ornamental and horticultural performance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright shrub 75–105 cm tall, 60–80 cm spread; dense, mid-green, slightly glossy foliage; moderately thorny stems; weak self-cleaning so spent blooms usually require regular deadheading by hand. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, XL blooms over 10 cm, solitary on stems; high-centred, pointed hybrid-tea form ideal for cutting; 40+ petals; remontant with a generous second flush when properly deadheaded and fed. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Pink-white bicolour; creamy-white centres with vivid raspberry-pink edges; RHS 62C outer, 155D inner; colour softens in strong sun, richer in cooler spells; blurred transitions give a painted, luxurious effect. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, far-scented perfume with sweet, spicy character classic of hybrid teas; fragrance carries well in still air, making it ideal near paths, seating areas and as a perfumed cut flower indoors. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips rarely develop due to the very double flowers; when present, they are ellipsoidal, orange-red, 10–14 mm in diameter, offering occasional late-season interest rather than reliable fruiting. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about −21 to −18 °C (USDA 6b, RHS H7, Swedish zone 3); moderate resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust; best performance with regular watering and basic protective care. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil; moderate feeding and deadheading needed; spacing 60 cm in mass, 50 cm in hedges, 100 cm solitary; plant 2.8–3.2 per m² for bedding displays. |
MONICA BELLUCCI® rewards you with sumptuous, fragrant XL blooms, reliable repeat flowering and long-term own-root resilience, a refined choice if you would like one special rose to treasure.
