CHRYSLER IMPERIAL – dark red hybrid tea rose – Lammerts
Step outside after rain and meet a rose bred for fragrance, crafted as a tall, elegant hybrid tea that gives your front garden instant theatre. ‘Chrysler Imperial’ produces long-stemmed, exhibition-style blooms in a sumptuous, velvety dark red, perfect for cutting and bringing luxury indoors. In our own-root 2‑litre format it establishes steadily, building roots in year one, lengthening stems and flower production in year two, and reaching full ornamental value by year three for a reassuringly long lifespan. Its medium maintenance needs suit busy urban gardeners who can manage occasional deadheading and simple plant protection. This rose is well suited to typical British gardens that occasionally face brisk winds and heavy rain, supporting reliable performance where conditions can be challenging. Use it as a statement specimen in a small front garden, or plant in a 40–50 litre container to enjoy its rich colour, strong scent and enduring presence close to your door for relaxed everyday enjoyment.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Feature rose for a London front garden |
The upright, medium‑tall habit and large, high‑centred blooms give a formal, show‑garden feel from a modest planting space, ideal beside a front door or bay window for maximum visual impact for beginners |
| Cutting garden and indoor vases |
Long, straight stems and very double, exhibition-style flowers provide classic, long‑lasting dark‑red roses for cutting, allowing you to enjoy the same high quality indoors that you see outdoors, from mid-season flushes through late summer for homeowners |
| Statement container on terrace or balcony |
Performs well in a large 40–50 litre pot with regular watering and feeding, giving vertical structure and dramatic colour where border space is limited, perfectly suited to paved or gravelled urban spaces with rainwater collection for urbanites |
| Perfumed seating area or narrow path |
The very strong, classic rose perfume carries in still evening air, making it ideal near a bench or along a path where you brush past the foliage and enjoy multiple flushes of scented flowers through the season for romantics |
| Mixed rose border with classic character |
Its repeat flowering habit and medium density, dark green foliage work well in a traditional rose bed, where regular but simple deadheading keeps displays tidy and extends the season of colour without advanced pruning skills for hobbyists |
| Specimen for heavy clay family gardens |
In improved, well-drained planting holes it responds reliably in typical British clay soils, coping with periods of wet followed by heat, offering consistent flowering even where weather swings between showers and sunny spells for families |
| Long-term own‑root investment planting |
Supplied on its own roots, it matures into a stable, non-grafting plant that can regenerate from the base after hard pruning or winter damage, helping preserve its original character and ornamental value over many years for planners |
| Elegant accent with cool-toned companions |
The deep dark‑red flowers contrast beautifully with blue and silver foliage plants, while its upright shape creates a calm vertical line in narrow spaces that occasionally face brisk winds and heavy rain, anchoring smaller perennials for stylists |
Styling ideas
- Front-door classic – Flank a townhouse entrance with two specimens in generous 50 litre containers, underplanted with low Carex for texture – ideal for style-conscious city homeowners.
- Evening-perfume – Place near a favourite chair with soft lavender and nepeta to echo the fragrance and soften the outline – perfect for those who unwind outdoors after work.
- Terrace-showpiece – Use one plant in a large pot against pale brick or render so the dark blooms stand out – suited to balcony and roof-terrace gardeners.
- Formal-ribbon – Create a short hedge along a path at 55 cm spacing, interplanted with compact sage to add drought-tolerant foliage contrast – for gardeners who enjoy a structured look.
- Cutting-corner – Dedicate a sunny border end to a small group at 65 cm spacing, with airy campanulas for softness, giving a steady supply of stems for vases – appealing to home florists.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose ‘Chrysler Imperial’, registered exhibition name accepted by the American Rose Society; commercial trade name Chrysler Imperial Hybrid tea rose Chrysler Imperial. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Walter Edward Lammerts at Armstrong Nurseries, California; cross of ‘Charlotte Armstrong’ × ‘Mirandy’, introduced in the United States in 1952 as an exhibition-quality garden hybrid tea. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly decorated: Portland Gold Medal 1951, All-America Rose Selections 1953, ARS National Gold Medal Certificate 1956, ARS John Cook Medal 1964, Gamble Fragrance Medal 1965. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright hybrid tea with 100–140 cm height and 70–110 cm spread, medium foliage density, dark green leaves, densely thorned stems, suited to specimen, border and larger container use. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, high-centred, pointed-bud flowers with over 40 petals; XXL blooms borne mainly singly on long stems; remontant with an abundant second flush in suitable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep, velvety dark red with ruby undertones; ARS code DR, RHS 53A/60A; colour holds well, slight blueing and mild fading in strong sun; rich burgundy buds open to full, uniform scarlet-red blooms. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, long-lasting classic rose fragrance with a deep, traditional character; well suited to planting near paths, doors or seating areas where scent can be fully appreciated. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally sparse due to very double flowers and regular deadheading; occasional small ellipsoidal red hips, typically 10–14 mm in diameter, may develop late in the season. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C (USDA 6b, RHS H7); medium resistance to black spot and powdery mildew, good rust resistance; appreciates irrigation in prolonged drought and basic preventative care. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun or light partial shade, in fertile, well-drained soil; space 55–100 cm depending on use; feed regularly, water deeply in dry spells, prune annually to maintain vigour and bloom quality. |
CHRYSLER IMPERIAL offers velvety dark-red, powerfully scented blooms on elegant stems, rewarding long-term own-root planting with reliable performance and cut flowers, so you may confidently choose it as a refined focal point.
