Souvenir de La Malmaison is a hybrid Bourbon shrub in the rose family (Rosaceae) that was bred by Jean Beluze of France before 1843 and released in 1850. Parentage is Madame Desprez (bourbon, Desprez, 1831) × Tea. The rose was named in memory of Empress Joséphine's famous garden at Malmaison. This bushy shrub will grow 2-6 feet tall and 3-6 feet wide in full sun. Plant in fertile well-drained soil and mulch to help retain moisture. In areas with a lot of rain, the flowers tend to ball so a protected location is helpful. Do not overly prune this rose as it will not do as well. Remove diseased and dead canes as needed. The white and light pink blend double and quartered flowers are up to 5 inches across with a moderate to strong tea rose fragrance. It will rebloom in flushes throughout the season. The leaves are large, glossy and light green on canes with few to no prickles. Use Souvenir de La Malmaison as a specimen, foundation plant or in the back of the border. It will do well in an English, cottage or cutting garden. This rose is included in the Old Rose Hall of Fame of the World Federation of Rose Societies. This recognizes roses of historical or genealogical importance and those that have continued to be popular over many years. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Black spot and mildew can occur in rainy areas. See pests of roses to the left. Deer will browse roses. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Rosa .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Rose
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Large light green glossy leaves
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Cup; Saucer
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
5-inch wide light pink and white very double flowers with 75 petals appear late spring or early summer and repeat blooms during the season. Moderate to strong tea rose fragrance. Flowers are mostly solitary or in small clusters and start out cupped but open flat and quartered.