Though its parentage is unrecorded, Comtesse de Rocquigny is a Bourbon Rose very much in the mold of Lacharme's popular Boule de Neige and Coquette des Blanches . All of these roses show probable Tea-Noisette influence in their pale, clustered blooms, long canes, and glossy foliage. Comtesse de Rocquigny is a vigorous shrub which produces long, arching, light green canes. Over time, it will form an open vase-shaped plant of 6 ft. or more in height and nearly equal spread. It is outstanding among the Bourbon Roses for its resistance to fungal disease, and is rarely bothered by either blackspot or powdery mildew.
Blooms come in clusters of six or more and start as tightly furled light pink buds.
Perhaps by accident, or perhaps because of its awkward name, Comtesse de Rocquigny has never become popular in modern gardens. This is a shame, for such a healthy, beautiful, repeat-blooming Old Rose deserves to be widely known and planted. These pages are maintained by S. Andrew Schulman.