PIETRA™ – red bedding Floribunda rose – Olesen & Olesen
If you dream of a compact, “girly” rose that slips easily into a Dublin terrace or Irish cottage front garden, PIETRA™ is made to bring cheerful colour without demanding your weekends. Its low, bushy shape and mid‑deep red blooms create a neat border line or a glowing container centrepiece, while the flowers keep coming in soft flushes right through our short Irish summer. Bred for a solid, rock‑like habit, this floribunda forms a dense mound of glossy dark foliage that shrugs off wind and rain, coping reliably even where gardens face frequent showers and need careful drainage in heavier clay soils. Medium, cupped, double flowers repeat well and release a medium‑strength fragrance in warm weather, giving small gardens a gentle perfumed lift. As an own‑root plant it settles in steadily, putting energy into roots in year one, building shoots in year two and showing its full ornamental value by year three, so you can enjoy a long‑lived, low‑fuss companion in beds, borders and generous containers for many seasons of relaxed contentment.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Small cottage-style front border |
The low, bushy habit and compact spread make PIETRA™ ideal for edging a narrow cottage-style front border, giving structured mounds of red bloom that stay tidy near paths and doorways, perfect for the cottage-loving homeowner |
| Dublin terraced-house front garden |
Its modest height and dense foliage provide colour and privacy without overpowering a small urban space; repeat flowering keeps the frontage cheerful between parked cars and pavements, suiting the busy city gardener |
| Mixed flowerbed with shrubs and perennials |
Planted at 35–60 cm intervals, PIETRA™ dots reliable red accents through mixed beds, pairing well with heuchera and dwarf box to give long-lasting structure that supports the relaxed planner beginner |
| Container or large patio pot (40–50 litres+) |
In a well-drained 40–50 litre container with quality compost, its compact root system and bushy crown flourish, delivering repeat flowering on patios and terraces with only moderate care for the time-pressed urbanite |
| Low flowering hedge along a path |
At around 30 cm spacing, plants knit into a low, flowering hedge that directs movement and frames lawns or drives, while glossy foliage and remontant blooms add formality for the style-conscious family |
| Feature accent in a clay-soil garden |
With sensible soil preparation and added grit or organic matter, PIETRA™ thrives even where wetter, heavier ground demands attention to drainage, supporting the practicality-minded householder |
| Scented seating corner |
The medium-strength fragrance becomes pleasantly noticeable in warm, still weather, so a small group near a bench or favourite chair offers an intimate aromatic focus for the fragrance-seeking enthusiast |
| Long-term, low-fuss planting scheme |
As an own-root rose it ages steadily, recovering better from winter damage and rough weather, ensuring an even, dependable display over many seasons for the long-view, low-maintenance planner |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Ribbon – run a curving ribbon of PIETRA™ along a front path, mixing in soft pink perennials for a “girly” cottage feel – ideal for romantic cottage-garden owners
- City-Crimson – place three plants together in a 50-litre terrace pot with dwarf box at the corners for a formal yet easy urban focal point – for Dublin balcony and small-frontage residents
- Rock-Edge – echo the “stone” meaning of Pietra by edging gravel or stepping-stone paths with its compact red mounds – suited to those who like clean, structured garden lines
- Glow-Border – combine with dark-leaved heuchera and blue verbena for a long-season, colour-layered border that stays interesting from spring to autumn – for colour-focused hobby gardeners
- Bench-Nook – tuck a group near a seating nook where the medium fragrance can be enjoyed on warm evenings – perfect for evening relaxers and scent appreciators
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
PIETRA™ Palace® POUlpal105, floribunda bedding shrub rose from the Palace® collection; registered cultivar name POUlpal105, commercial type red bedding Floribunda rose, exhibition category shrub rose. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in Denmark in 2021 by L. P. Olesen and M. N. Olesen (Poulsen Roser A/S); introduced 2024 with CPVO registration filed the same year, distributed initially by Poulsen Roser A/S. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Compact, bushy shrub 25–40 cm high and 30–45 cm wide, with dense, dark green glossy foliage and moderate prickliness, forming a low, solid mound suitable for beds, borders and containers. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized 4–7 cm, cupped double flowers with 26–39 petals, carried in clusters on floribunda-type trusses; remontant habit with a particularly plentiful second flush in suitable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Vivid medium-deep red blooms; buds deep carmine, opening scarlet-red with slightly lighter rims, later maturing to scarlet-raspberry tones; colour fade moderate, maintaining an overall rich red impression. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength, pleasantly noticeable fragrance in warm weather; character details not fully documented but appreciable at close range around seating or paths during mild, still summer periods. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips rarely form; where present they are tiny, around 0–3 mm diameter, offering negligible ornamental or wildlife value, so the variety is grown primarily for its flowers and foliage. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −26 to −23 °C (H7, USDA 5b, Swedish zone 4); moderate resistance to black spot, mildew and rust, and average tolerance of heat and drought, requiring watering in prolonged dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with well-drained soil; spacing 30–60 cm depending on use, 8.2–9.4 plants/m² for massing; suitable for beds, borders, containers and terraces with moderate maintenance and occasional plant protection. |
PIETRA™ offers compact, repeat red flowering, a softly noticeable fragrance and the steady resilience of an own-root shrub rose, making it a thoughtful choice if you favour long-term beauty with modest effort.
