Bourbon Rose 'Reine Victoria': Schwartz's 1872 Shell Rose

Introduced in 1872 by Schwartz, 'Reine Victoria' (also known as La Reine Victoria, The Shell Rose) is a Bourbon rose named for Queen Victoria. Its blooms are a soft, shell-pink—like the interior of a conch—with the sumptuous fragrance that defines the Bourbon class.

Botanical Profile

The flowers are fully double, quartered, 3-4 inches across, a delicate shell-pink that fades to near-white at the edges. They appear in flushes throughout the season on a vigorous, arching shrub 5-6 feet tall. The fragrance is rich and complex—damask, tea, and spice. The foliage is large, leathery, grey-green. Bourbon roses combine the repeat bloom of Chinas with the fragrance and form of Damasks. 'Reine Victoria' exemplifies the class: a Victorian rose for a Victorian queen, blooming through the seasons with shell-pink grace.