English Rose 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh': Austin's Lilac-Tinged Tribute

Named for the famed Scottish architect and designer, 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' (PP8155, aka AUSren) was introduced in 1988 by David Austin. This English Rose produces large, deeply cupped, quartered blooms of 4 to 5 inches in a beguiling color: soft lilac-pink with a mauve cast, paling at the edges. The fragrance is a delicious blend of Tea rose and fruit, strong and complex.

The plant forms a bushy, upright shrub 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, with the characteristic Austin habit—arching canes and healthy, mid-green foliage. It repeats reliably from early summer through fall, with brief rests between flushes. Disease resistance is good for an English Rose, though some black spot may appear in humid climates.

'Charles Rennie Mackintosh' excels in mixed borders, rose gardens, or as a specimen. Its unique lilac coloring harmonizes with blues, purples, silvers, and whites. For admirers of Austin's romantic, old-fashioned flower forms combined with modern repeat bloom, this cultivar is a poetic tribute to its artistic namesake.