Rosa gallica Complicata is a Hybrid Gallica that bears clear pink single form roses in spring. Complicata is an old rose of unknown origin that dates from before the 19th century. It is a strong grower in the garden that blooms once per season for an extended period up to six weeks.
Complicata is a beautiful rose worthy of any garden.
Complicata has excellent winter hardiness USDA zones 4b-9. The fragrance is considered strong. Flowers are large, with 5 to 7 petals. It grows rather large in the garden, 7′-15′ tall and wide with a somewhat arching habit.
Gallica roses are tough, hardy, and dependable in the garden, and Complicata has all of these good qualities. In addition, the flowers are quite beautiful. Many experienced rose gardeners consider Rosa gallica Complicata to be the most beautiful of the single form roses.
So many of the species or wild roses have under-whelming flowers that recede into the landscape…not so with Rosa gallica Complicata. Flowers can reach 5″ across and the golden yellow stamens are a nice foil for the pink petals.
The good qualities of Rosa gallica Complicata are not just about the flowers:
The canes are nearly thornless and the foliage remains disease free. Gallica roses are an excellent rose for gardeners who refuse to spray. Rosa gallica Complicata has the good quality of being somewhat shade tolerant in the garden.
Rosa gallica Complicata is a very old rose cultivar and a hybrid of other species roses.
It can be difficult or impossible to pin down the exact lineage of many Gallica roses. They tend to be suckering shrubs and indeed Rosa gallica Complicata will form a thicket over time.
Gallica roses are certainly historic when it comes to human cultivation. Gallica roses were one of the first types of roses grown in gardens by humans, certainly dating back to the Romans and Greeks.