Gallica Rose 'Charles de Mills': The Velvet Purple Masterpiece

Pre-dating 1790, 'Charles de Mills' stands as one of the most magnificent Gallica roses ever cultivated. Also known by a constellation of synonyms—Ardoisié, Bizarre Triomphant, Maheca de Dupont, Rose Bleue, Violette Bronzée—this ancient cultivar produces flowers of such depth and complexity that they appear almost painted. The blooms are medium-large (3 to 4 inches), very double and quartered, with a flattened, button-eye center. Their color is a mesmerizing blend of deep violet, purple, and slate-grey, often described as "velvet" or "metallic."

The fragrance is intensely rich, the quintessential Old Rose perfume that has made Gallicas legendary. The plant forms a compact, suckering shrub 3 to 4 feet tall with grey-green, slightly rugose foliage and few thorns. It blooms once in early summer, but the display is so spectacular that the wait is worthwhile.

Like all Gallicas, 'Charles de Mills' is exceptionally cold-hardy (zone 3), disease-resistant, and tolerant of poor soils. It spreads slowly by suckers, forming a beautiful thicket over time. For collectors of historic roses, this pre-Revolutionary cultivar is a crown jewel—a living link to the gardens of 18th-century Europe.