Rosa Penelope (Hybrid Musk Rose)

Reliable and free-flowering, award-winning Rosa ‘Penelope’ is a compact, bushy shrub with large trusses of strongly fragrant, semi-double, creamy-pink flowers, 3 in. across (8 cm), adorned with prominent yellow stamens. Blooming continuously from summer to fall, they exude a heavenly musk fragrance.

Reliable and free-flowering, award-winning Rosa 'Penelope' is a compact, bushy shrub with large trusses of strongly fragrant, semi-double, creamy-pink flowers, 3 in. across (8 cm), adorned with prominent yellow stamens. Blooming continuously from summer to fall, they exude a heavenly musk fragrance. Produced in great quantities, they stand out against the rich and healthy foliage of glossy, dark green leaves. As an added bonus, the ravishing blossoms are followed by coral-pink hips that please hungry birds. Loved around the world, 'Penelope' is a charming and versatile hybrid musk rose that is perfect for the mixed border, as a flowering hedge or in containers. Good disease resistance.

  • Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
  • Grows up to 3-6 ft. tall and wide (90-180 cm).
  • Best grown in full sun to part shade, in rich, moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soils. Tolerant of poor soil. Best flowering and disease resistance generally occur in full sun. Apply a balanced fertilizer and mulch in late winter or early spring and a balanced fertilizer again in early summer.
  • Grow as a specimen or in small groups in borders, cottage gardens, foundations. Also effective as a hedge. Its medium size allows it to fit small gardens and makes it perfectly suited to container planting.
  • Resist the urge to prune this rose too heavily, it does not like it!
  • Propagate by hardwood cuttings in autumn or by chip budding in summer
  • Bred by Rev. Joseph Hardwick Pemberton (United Kingdom, 1924).

Requirements

Hardiness 5
– 10

Heat Zones 6
– 10

Plant Type Roses, Shrubs
Plant Family Rosa – Shrub Roses, Rosa – Roses
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early,Mid,Late)Fall
Height 3'
– 6'
(90cm
– 180cm)
Spread 3'
– 6'
(90cm
– 180cm)
Spacing 72″ (180cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy
Attracts Butterflies
Garden Uses Beds and Borders, Hedges and Screens, Patio and Containers, Small Gardens
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden