CAPRICIA™ – deep red nostalgia rose
Immerse yourself in the rich, velvety blooms of CAPRICIA™, a Romantic shrub rose that brings an air of Renaissance® charm to compact London front gardens and intimate patios. Its consistently deep-red rosettes feel quietly luxury, making every flowering flush a moment apart from everyday life. This own-root shrub has a naturally balanced, bushy shape, building a dense, glossy-green backdrop that stays handsome for many years. You can expect generous repeat flowering from summer into autumn, with a very strong fragrance that creates a calm sense of escape after rain on the paving. Planted once and allowed to settle, the shrub matures steadily on its own roots, rewarding simple, regular care with long-term stability and reliable structure. Ideal for those managing small spaces and heavier soils, it copes well with typical British weather, including blustery showers and damp spells that bring extra humidity to urban terraces. Over time, the plant forms a long-lived framework: first consolidating its roots, then building sturdy flowering shoots, before finally filling its place in the garden with full ornamental presence by the third year.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden focal shrub |
A natural choice for a small London-style front garden, its upright, bushy habit (110–160 cm) creates an immediate focal point without overwhelming the space. Deep red, rosette blooms read clearly from the pavement, offering a refined welcome for busy homeowners |
| Low, fragrant hedge |
Planted at 55–65 cm intervals, CAPRICIA™ forms a loosely formal hedge with dense, glossy foliage and continuous scent along a path or drive. Occasional dead-heading and light trimming are enough to maintain a neat, long-lived boundary for low-maintenance gardeners |
| Specimen in mixed flowerbed |
Within a mixed border, its medium height and rounded form anchor lighter perennials such as lavender, sage and nepeta. The dark blooms provide contrast, while repeat flowering ensures the bed never feels bare through summer, even for weekend gardeners |
| Large container on patio or balcony |
In a 40–50 litre or larger pot, CAPRICIA™ offers a long-term shrub presence where soil is limited. The strong fragrance and romantic flower form are brought to nose level on patios and balconies, ideal where you prefer contained, easily accessed planting for urban residents |
| Rainwater-friendly front garden scheme |
Planted into improved, free-draining soil, this shrub rose works well alongside permeable driveways, gravel or rain gardens, coping with periods of wet and wind typical of British streetscapes and helping structure a practical, attractive setting for sustainability-minded owners |
| Long-term structural planting |
On its own roots, CAPRICIA™ develops into a stable framework that responds well to renewal pruning, regenerating from the base rather than relying on a graft. This supports a longer planting life and less frequent replacement, reassuring cost-conscious gardeners |
| Cut flowers from the garden |
The XL, very double, velvety blooms lend themselves to nostalgic indoor arrangements, with long-lasting scent and strong colour that deepens rather than fading. A few stems turn an ordinary jug into a centrepiece, making everyday picking easy for home flower-lovers |
| Scented seating or evening corner |
Placed near a bench or back step, this rose delivers concentrated perfume from repeated flushes, even in a modest footprint. Its upright habit keeps growth off the seating area while preserving an enveloping, calming atmosphere for relaxation-focused gardeners |
Styling ideas
- Front-Door Welcome – Pair CAPRICIA™ with lavender and low box balls by a townhouse entrance to frame the doorway with scent and structure – ideal for time-pressed city households
- Romantic Border – Combine with nepeta, soft pink salvias and airy ornamental grasses to soften its dark red blooms – suited to gardeners wanting a relaxed, nostalgic look
- Balcony Retreat – Grow a single shrub in a 50-litre container, underplanted with thyme and trailing ivy to create a compact, fragrant escape – perfect for flat dwellers
- Scented Path – Line a path with a short run of CAPRICIA™ and interplant with scented herbs for a gently structured, walk-through perfume – appealing to families who enjoy everyday garden use
- Modern Rain-Garden Edge – Set the rose into gravel or permeable surfaces with sage and sedums, linking classic blooms to contemporary, water-smart hard landscaping – for sustainability-focused renovators
Technical cultivar profile
| Characteristic |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Shrub rose, collection Renaissance®, nostalgia / Romantic type; registered as POUlren024 and marketed as CAPRICIA™ Renaissance®; verified cultivar authenticity with premium retail quality classification. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Mogens Nyegaard Olesen (Poulsen Roser A/S, Denmark) in 2006 from unnamed seedlings; registered 2013 (EU) and 2016 (USA) and introduced after 2013 for garden and landscape use. |
| Awards and recognition |
Winner of the Tollcross Fragrance Prize at the Glasgow International Rose Trials 2016, reflecting its notably strong, persistent perfume under British trial garden conditions. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright shrub reaching about 110–160 cm high and 70–110 cm wide, with dense, glossy green foliage (RHS 147A) and moderate prickles; spent blooms may require light dead-heading for best effect. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, XL-sized rosette blooms with 40+ petals, borne mainly in clusters; strongly remontant, giving a generous second flush and further repeats with regular dead-heading through the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep, velvety crimson-red with subtle burgundy tones; buds are dark burgundy, blooms deepen to blackish-red and finally blacken slightly, with colour retention rated moderate but generally stable on the plant. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, long-lasting scent classed among the more powerfully fragrant shrub roses; the exact fragrance notes are undocumented, but intensity supports use near paths, doors and seating. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is very limited due to the full, double flowers; where formed, hips are tiny (0–3 mm diameter) and ornamental impact is negligible, so the plant is grown primarily for its flowers. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7; Swedish zone 3; USDA 6b); disease resistance is moderate to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, benefitting from standard preventive care in damp seasons. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny positions with fertile, well-drained soil; suitable for flowerbeds, specimen use, hedging and scented gardens, with medium maintenance and occasional plant protection advisable. |
CAPRICIA™ offers deeply coloured, strongly fragrant, repeat-flowering blooms on a long-lived own-root shrub that can regenerate gracefully over time; a thoughtful choice if you value enduring character in a smaller garden.
