Like snowflakes, no two flowers are ever the same. Gallicas are easy to grow. They tolerate both hot and cold climates and will grow in all of the U.S. and Europe except for the very hottest parts of Italy and Spain. Best of all, they tolerate even poor soil, and some tolerate shade. If you want to try your hand at hybridizing, they cross-breed quite readily.
Colors range from white through all the shades of red, with many spotted and striped varieties.
Noted for their fragrance, they have lush, dark green foliage and require very little pruning except for removal of dead wood. Pruning shouldn't be necessary anyway, except in the tightest spots, for these are relatively small shrubs, as a rule. As a nice bonus, they produce an abundant supply of hips, great for winter color and for feeding birds, or for rose hip jam. Gallicas are once-blooming roses, which, for may people, is their only flaw. But when they do bloom, they produce an abundant and intensely fragrant display.