MONICA BELLUCCI® – pink-white hybrid tea rose - Meilland
Step into a world of glamour each time you pass MONICA BELLUCCI®, a hybrid tea rose whose large, exhibition-style blooms combine creamy white petals with vivid raspberry-pink margins for an effortlessly romantic front-garden feature. Bred by Meilland for strong, far-reaching fragrance, its intensely spicy-sweet perfume creates a calm, balanced mood even in compact London terraces and small urban plots. Bushy and upright yet naturally well-shaped, it suits narrow beds and smart containers, helping you manage wetter spells and heavier soils with a quietly resilient, reliable presence. As an own-root rose it establishes steadily, rewarding patient, light-touch care with a long, stable life and graceful recovery from pruning or weather, a reassuring choice for beginners and time-pressed gardeners. In the first year it focuses on the roots, the second on confident new shoots, and by the third it reveals its full ornamental impact. Sustainably grown in a peat-free mix, it is ready to thrive with simple watering from collected rain, while premium quality breeding and awards signal long-term value. Use it as a centrepiece by your front door, or cut a few perfect stems for the vase and enjoy its perfume indoors after rain.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden statement rose |
The bushy, upright habit and XL, high-centred flowers create a strong focal point in a small to medium front garden without overwhelming the space, ideal for a single, glamorous feature near a path or doorway for the style-conscious urban gardener |
| Cutting and indoor display bed |
Long-stemmed, exhibition-type blooms with dense petals and a very strong spicy-sweet scent are perfect for cutting, allowing you to enjoy high-end florist-style arrangements at home from a compact flowerbed for the home florist enthusiast |
| Rainwater-friendly terrace container |
Grows reliably in a large pot of at least 40–50 litres when given good drainage, making it a practical choice for paved front gardens using stored rainwater in changeable, wet-and-dry urban conditions for the space-limited city dweller |
| Feature rose in mixed border |
The clear pink-and-cream bicolour works beautifully with low-maintenance companions such as lavender, sage or nepeta, giving long-season visual interest with only moderate pruning and deadheading for the busy family gardener |
| Own-root long-term specimen |
Supplied on its own roots, it builds a durable framework that regrows evenly from the base after hard pruning or winter damage, supporting a long-lived, stable display over many years for the value-focused homeowner |
| Show-style planting for enthusiasts |
The hybrid tea form, strong fragrance and proven show record, including a gold medal and Label Rouge certification, make it well suited to a small exhibition or display corner in the garden for the aspiring rose exhibitor |
| Sunny, well-drained clay or chalk bed |
Performs best in a sunny position with improved drainage on heavier clay or chalk, coping with breezy, rainier spells when the soil is prepared thoughtfully and watering is consistent for the climate-aware gardener |
| Low-effort rose focus near seating |
Medium maintenance needs and generous repeat flowering mean that, with simple feeding and occasional disease checks, you gain a long season of scented flowers beside a bench or patio with limited routine tasks for the relaxation-seeking beginner |
Styling ideas
- Terrace-Glamour – Place one plant in a 50-litre clay pot with gravel mulch and soft grey nepeta at its base for an elegant, low-fuss statement – ideal for design-conscious city homeowners.
- Romantic-Path – Flank a narrow front path with spaced specimens underplanted with lavender and white physostegia to echo the pink-and-cream blooms – perfect for those who enjoy scented evening walks.
- Exhibition-Corner – Dedicate a sunny bed to three plants in a triangle, keeping underplanting minimal so long stems for cutting and showing are easy to access – suited to keen rose collectors.
- Pastel-Border – Combine with pale salvia, soft grasses and white flowering perennials for a light, airy border that looks polished with modest upkeep – good for busy family gardens.
- Container-Salon – Group one large potted rose with smaller pots of sage and herbs around a bistro set, using collected rainwater for irrigation – appealing to sustainability-minded balcony and patio gardeners.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose; registered as MEImonkeur, marketed as Monica Bellucci® Hybrid tea rose MEImonkeur, exhibition hybrid tea for garden and cutting use, ARS exhibition name Monica Bellucci. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Alain Meilland, Meilland International, France; complex parentage from ‘Caroline de Monaco’, ‘Yves Piaget’, ‘Fiorella’ and ‘Ambassador’; bred 2004, introduced and registered 2010. |
| Awards and recognition |
Gold medal winner in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2010), and awarded the French Label Rouge certification, indicating consistent high ornamental and garden performance under trial conditions. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright shrub 75–105 cm high and 60–80 cm wide, with dense mid-green, slightly glossy foliage and moderate thorns; weak self-cleaning so spent blooms benefit from regular deadheading. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, XL hybrid tea blooms with over 40 petals, high-centred pointed buds and mainly solitary flowers on long stems; remontant habit with a generous second flush in suitable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Pink-white bicolour; creamy-white centres with vivid raspberry-pink edges, ARS code PB, RHS 62C outer and 155D inner; colours lighten in strong sun but stay richer in cooler weather. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, far-scented fragrance with a sweet, spicy character typical of classic hybrid tea roses; scent is noticeable in still air and particularly effective near paths or seating areas. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally poor due to very double flowers; occasional small ellipsoidal orange-red hips 10–14 mm in diameter may form but are not a significant ornamental feature. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Fully hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Sweden zone 3); moderate resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust, performing best with good air movement and care. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Prefers full sun and fertile, well-drained soil; suitable for flowerbeds, specimens, hedging and parks; plant 50–60 cm apart, allow around 100 cm for solitary display, water regularly in dry spells. |
MONICA BELLUCCI® Hybrid tea rose MEImonkeur offers glamorous, powerfully scented blooms on a long-lived own-root shrub, making it a refined, low-fuss choice for gardeners seeking lasting impact with measured effort.
